Watch the effect of solar radiation today and manage your group accordingly. Plan to be off any big sunny slopes before the sun has a significant effect on them.
Weather Forecast
High pressure ridge maintaining clear and dry conditions over the southern interior . Winds are forecast to be light with freezing levels rising up to 1300m. This trend is likely to last until Wednesday
Snowpack Summary
5-15cm of light snow overtop the Feb 14 crust. Crust was observed to be 9cm thick in a profile above the Asulkan Hut at 2200m. The Jan 30 crust layer is down ~1-1.25m which formed a crust to 2200m. Jan 15 surface hoar layer is down ~1-1.5m. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled.
Avalanche Summary
No avalanche activity yesterday. From rain event 3 days ago, numerous natural avalanches with large propagation and depth. In the Asulkan Valley, size 3.0 from Mt Pollux running on the Nov 9 crust, size 3.0 in the bowl between the Rampart and Mt Afton running to the valley, suspect Jan 30 or 15 layers. A size 2.0 natural icefall below Mt Leda.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
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.
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.
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.