Moderate hazard indicates that small and large avalanches are still possible. Cloud cover is expected to increase today but if the sun stays out the hazard will rise.
Weather Forecast
Pacific low off the coast has produced a front that will be arriving to the interior with light to moderate amounts of precipitation this afternoon. Winds to remain generally light from the south west and freezing level to rise to 1400m.
Snowpack Summary
Aspect dependant, north and east will have settling snow, south and west will have a surface crust and the Mar 22 crust down 10cm. The Mar 13 crust down 45-65 and the Mar 2 CR/SH layer down 1m. Tests show hard sudden result on the Mar 2 layer, propagation tests still show large potential for propagation. The Feb10 layer is down ~2m.
Avalanche Summary
Yesterday saw numerous solar triggered loose natural avalanches in the highway corridor and in the backcountry to size 3.0. On Sunday Cheops North 4 (above Connaught creek), north aspect, ~2500m ran naturally size 2.0. From Friday in Grizzly Bowl, east aspect, ~2600m, size 3.5 showing wide propagation possibly cornice triggered.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Problems
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.
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.