A variety of spring surface conditions will keep skiing interesting in the park today. Keep an eye out for spring hazards including cornices, glide cracks and loose, unconsolidated snow.
Weather Forecast
Broken cloud cover is forecast today with convective clouds and precipitation possible this afternoon. Wind are forecast to be light. Freezing levels will rise to around 1600 m with alpine temps remaining cool at -5. This weather will continue into Monday with temperatures remain cool as a ridge of high pressure builds in and remains on Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
Cooler temperatures overnight will have frozen the surface snow. The surface condition will change rapidly today as freezing levels rise. An isothermal snowpack has been reported in some locations at treeline. These conditions result in a loose, unconsolidated snowpack. Precipitation that did fall as snow over the last few days will be heavy.
Avalanche Summary
We observed loose, moist/wet natural avalanche running in the highway corridor over the last few day. One notable event was a size 3, from a deep slab release at 1700 m. Glide cracks are still failing, up to size 2.5.Artillery avalanche control along the highway corridor on Friday produced numerous size 2-2.5 loose, moist avalanches.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Tuesday
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.
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.