West Slopes North

Isolated avalanche danger from overhead hazards like cornices, glide cracks, and other hanging features will continue until temperatures decrease significantly. New snow at the highest elevations could still produce limited slab and loose snow avalanche activity. Evaluate conditions as the day warms and be prepared to change course if you make observations different from expected.

Despite very warm temperatures - 54F at 5020’ at  Pan Dome at 2pm - snow surface warming was limited to southerly aspects. Even with the influence of the sun, the firm crust below the latest few inches of new snow barely thawed in most areas. No new avalanches were reported and limited signs of instability were noted on solar slopes near and above treeline.

At the highest elevations, small wind slabs still present a risk in steep, exposed terrain. Identify and evaluate winds slabs before moving onto consequential slopes. Loose wet avalanches are also a concern above treeline where deeper new snow will be more susceptible to warming from the sun, become weaker, and therefore more likely to avalanche. 

Overhead hazards from cornices and glide avalanches abound in some areas. Though the likelihood of one of these avalanches is low,  you should still identify and minimize time spent below anything that looks unstable and poorly attached to the rest of the slope.

This weekend brought a combination of the strongest sun and warmest temperatures seen yet this year.  On the other hand, we have a very strong rain and melt affected snowpack that has been through numerous wet avalanche cycles plus nearly two weeks of melting, draining, and freezing. So far this has limited the effects of warming and made for lower avalanche danger compared to similar weather with a colder, drier snowpack. Other factors that have limited the effects of warming are short days (not much time to warm up), long nights with clear to partly cloudy skies (plenty of time for the snow surface to cool and refreeze), and the low angle of the sun compared to late winter and spring.

Other than avalanche hazards, expect challenging travel conditions on frozen, uneven surfaces earlier in the day. Steep tree covered terrain has been noted as particularly difficult to navigate. If you haven’t made it to the mountains since the rain and warm temperature regime took over 10 days ago be prepared to see a very different environment. Exposed rock, glide cracks, open creeks and a very rough snow surface all present new hazards to avoid.