2500m freezing level, persistent weak layers and cornices, all should receive your attention today.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with isolated wet flurries today. Freezing levels are forecast to reach 2500m with alpine temps up to +2C. Light SE winds will accompany the warm temperatures.
Snowpack Summary
Solar input has produced surface crusts on southerly aspects. Last week's storm snow continues to settle and for the most part remains unconsolidated on northerly aspects and sits over crusts on solar aspects. Feb 27 and Feb 10 weak layers are 70 to 120cm down and are more suspect on steeper solar aspects. Look for windslab on lee features up high.
Avalanche Summary
One size 2 cornice triggered slide observed on an east aspect around 2500 elevation. No new slides observed in the highway corridor.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Problems
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.