Saturday or Sunday's potential 15cm precipitation amount, relatively warm temperatures, high relative humidity in combination with wind loading patterns may be enough to overload the slippery crust interface it rests upon. Assess for this condition.
Weather Forecast
5-15cm of local snow accumulation may occur Saturday evening into Sunday evening. Winds will be shifting Northerly and Easterly yet remaining light with stronger ridgetop gusts. Freezing level is to be 1000m Saturday evening rising to 1700m Sunday afternoon then cooling trend Monday. Warm daytime temperatures expected to return on Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
A melt freeze crust below treeline provides stability above a generally wet unconsolidated snowpack. By mid to early afternoon, daytime heat has the potential to break the crust down increasing the danger. Heating also promotes cornice failures which could initiate a large slide. Above treeline the snowpack is supportive but less so where shallow.
Avalanche Summary
No patrol on Saturday. On Friday, several loose avalanches were observed from steep rock cliffs. Alpine and treeline locations were not visible. Steep, Southerly aspects below 1600m are mostly melted out.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Sunday
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
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.
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.