Daytime heating and direct solar exposure will rapidly increase the avalanche danger. Plan to be off slopes if moist or wet snow conditions are encountered. Avalanche control planned on Hwy 93 between Parkers and Weeping Wall late Saturday PM.
Weather Forecast
Rain/snow showers to continue this evening and then skies will clear overnight bringing cool temps that will likely develop a crust from treeline to valley bottom. Mostly clear skies Saturday with warming temperatures. Similar conditions expect through Monday however overnight temperatures may not be cold enough to develop a significant crust.
Snowpack Summary
Temps peaked well above freezing Friday PM reaching into the alpine. This will create a crust on most aspects to treeline (TL) on solar aspects in the alpine as temps cool overnight. Moist snow below the crust extends into TL. The mid-pack is well bonded and warm. The base is weak facets in most locations. Cornices are large.
Avalanche Summary
2 new sz 2 slab avalanches ~ 50 - 100 cm deep where observed on SW TL aspect in the Icefields area, these went on an old snow interface, likely the Feb 10th layer. Several loose dry releases produced avalanches to sz 1.5 out of steep alpine terrain on SW aspects. Numerous small loose wet avalanches were reported on all aspects to treeline.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday
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.
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.