The avalanche danger will start off at LOW this morning then transition to MODERATE as the snowpack heats up. Small wind slabs remain a possible threat in the alpine, and wet loose activity will be more pronounced on southerly aspects. Monitor the effects of the sun today and seek out dry unconsolidated snow that has not been stiffened by the wind. Minimize exposure time on steep sunlit slopes, especially in and around rocky outcroppings.
For the most part wet loose entrainment should be confined to the top 3-6 inches of the snowpack. Last night's freeze should help, but it will be difficult to predict the actual size of wet loose activity today.
Steer clear of wet gloppy snow and seek out the dry stuff. Minimize exposure time on steep sunlit slopes, especially in and around rocky outcroppings.
Small wind slabs remain a possibility in the alpine, but they don't seem to be especially widespread at the moment. Slab depths up to a foot or so are possible in areas surrounding Grand Targhee (which seemed to pick up the most snow in the most recent burst). The last two days have not been very windy overall and it is suspected that one is going to need to climb to 10,500' or higher to find much in the way of slab development.
If the snow surface has a rippled texture to it then it's probably a sign of wind effect. Give cornices a wide berth and seek out soft, right side up snow.
The Greys picked up maybe 1-2 inches of snow yesterday, mostly in convective cells around midday. Good freeze last night, and not much in the way of wind. Today will be the first majorly sunny day since that nice pulse of snow on Thursday, so things will come a bit unglued in places. Looks like temps will reach the freezing point on the peaks. High pressure is on deck for tomorrow as well. Now the extended outlook is pretty unsettled for the rest of April. It's fun to watch this change on a daily basis and a good reminder that predicting the future is a silly business.
The last wave of high pressure put a pretty solid cap on the seasons snowpack. It will be interesting to see what happens over the course of the next two days as we heat back up. The pack at the upper elevations is still pretty far away from "isothermal". Recent avalanche activity has mostly been confined to some wet loose, dry loose, and maybe a rogue wind slab or two.
