Weather forecasts are uncertain, but Tues could produce a spring avalanche cycle due to very warm temperatures, a poor freeze Mon night, periods of sun and periods of rain. Avoid avalanche terrain when the snowpack is warm and avoid overhead hazard.
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Tuesday is expected to be warm with sunny patches and a chance of light rain showers. The snowpack is not expected to get a good freeze tonight, and freezing levels on Tuesday could climb to 3000 metres. Winds are forecasted to gust up to 50km/h from the SW. Wednesday should be significantly cooler with a mix of sun and cloud and a high of -4 degrees in the Alpine.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new reported or observed.
Snowpack Summary
Spring conditions. The snowpack is settling and grass is beginning to show at lower elevations. Surface crusts are melting during the day and then re-forming at night. The snowpack has gone isothermal at lower elevations on the warmer days and crusts are found to at least as high as 2500 metres on North aspects and much higher on solar aspects. Where cornices exist they are large and sagging.
Problems
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.