Avalanche problems are almost exclusively related to solar radiation and daytime heating. Each day the Danger Ratings will climb to CONSIDERABLE or HIGH by mid-day. Keep a close eye on sun-exposed slopes as well as cornices on N and E aspects.
Weather Forecast
Sunday should bring light NW winds and mostly sunny skies. Freezing levels will climb to close to 2400m. No new snow is expected.
Avalanche Summary
Solar triggered sluffs up to size 1.5 were observed on East, South and West aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Crusts are present on solar aspects and are becoming progressively thicker with each passing sunny day. these crusts break down at various intervals through the day, depending on aspect and elevation. Only true North aspects are escaping the crusts, and dry snow can still be found on these features. Cornices remain a concern as they continue to sag and be heavily affected by solar radiation. Stability tests today on a North aspect continue to indicate shears down 20 and 30cm involving buried crusts from earlier in March. These test results were giving "hard" scores today.
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.
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.