Another hot day, more large avalanches can be expected on South facing terrain! The hazard will increase throughout the day as temperatures rise and solar radiation increases.
Weather Forecast
Another day of high pressure and sunshine, winds will be light from the SW and the freezing level should rise to 2700m. A weak low pressure system will roll in form the west late Wednesday afternoon, depositing modest amounts of precipitation. Weather models for the long term forecast vary and show lots of uncertainty.
Snowpack Summary
An early spring snowpack is upon us. Last weekend's storm snow is well settled and the same can be said for the snowpack in most areas. Expect another surface crust on all aspects and elevations except North and East in the Alpine and upper treeline. Solar aspects will become moist and unstable as the day progresses and temperatures increase.
Avalanche Summary
Solar aspects are shedding their surface layers of snow throughout the forecast area. Numerous avalanches to size 3 have been observed on solar aspects along the highway corridor and in the backcountry. Avalanches have been running full path and burying commonly used skin tracks like Connaught ck, which has been buried 3 times in the last 2 days.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.