Watch incoming snow amounts carefully: new snow will likely bond poorly to the extensive crusts. Remember, small amounts of solar heating or rain can weaken snow quickly to cause an increase in the avalanche hazard beyond the posted danger ratings.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will bring light precip with a freezing level of 1900m and light to moderate West winds. Winds will shift N Wed with freezing levels dropping to 1500m and continued light precip - 10cm. Thursday should bring lighter precip and W winds however freezing will return to 1800m.
Snowpack Summary
Strong heating has built crusts on all aspects to 2300m and to ridgelines on solar aspects. Isolated windslabs exist in open features treeline and above. The upper and mid snowpack is now quite strong however the deeply buried February Facets and early season Basal Facets remain weak. Cornices appear to be large and fragile and deserve respect.
Avalanche Summary
Daily loose moist activity on all aspects below treeline and to mountain tops on sun exposed aspects has been seen over the last few days. This activity has been mainly minor with good freezes and well established surface crusts however size 2 avalanches have been recorded and are a reminder that strong solar heating can break down the crusts.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.
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.