Sunny periods and daytime heating will increase the hazard on solar aspects. Wind slabs are still a concern in lee and cross-loaded terrain at higher elevations.
Weather Forecast
Strong west winds tonight will taper off for Sunday with a SW flow at 30 km/h. A mix of sun and cloud is expected with temperatures near -3 at ridgetop. Freezing levels are forecast for 1900m. Monday could see a fairly significant snowfall, but that is still uncertain.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new was observed today, but observation were limited.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack at lower elevations is not getting much (if any) refreeze overnight due to warm temperatures and light rain making travel tedious, especially where the snowpack has gone isothermal. Crusts are present on solar aspects all the way to mountaintop, and these crusts are breaking down each day depending on solar input and daytime heating. However, classic spring-time "corn snow" is not being observed yet. Wind slabs can be found on lee and cross-loaded terrain in the alpine and treeline. The weak basal layers remain a concern, particularly in shallow snowpack areas.
Problems
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.
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.