Be alert to conditions that change with daytime warming. Danger ratings are likely to exceed posted levels if solar radiation is strong, especially at treeline and below.
Weather Forecast
Monday: Increased cloud / Light southwest winds / Freezing level at 2500mTuesday: Very light snowfall / Light southwest winds / Freezing level at 1800mWednesday: Overcast skies / Light southwest winds / Freezing level at 2100m
Avalanche Summary
Loose wet sluffs up to size 2.0 have been reported on south and west aspects. Isolated large cornice falls have also been reported; none of these recent cornice events have pulled slabs on the slopes below.
Snowpack Summary
Recent warm temperatures have created melt freeze conditions on all aspects below 2000m and to ridgecrest on south and west facing terrain. Isothermal conditions as deep as 100cm have been reported on south aspects at lower elevations. On high north-facing slopes surfaces are well settled and surface hoar development continues in some areas. Cornices are huge!Mid and lower snowpack layers are well bonded.
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.