Time to start and end early to avoid the afternoon warming increasing the overall hazard. Be aware of steep solar aspect gully features particularly in the late afternoon which could produce a size 2 avalanche.
Weather Forecast
Expect a good freeze Wed and Thurs nights with warm sun during the day. Winds will remain light. Friday night will have increasing moderate winds and a good freeze. Saturday will have light precipitation and cooler temperatures overall.
Snowpack Summary
Suncrust is found on solar aspects. 5-10 cm of snow can be located sporadically and largely aspect dependent over a supportive temperature crust above 2200m. Weak basal facets are bridged by a strong mid-pack in most areas treeline and above.
Avalanche Summary
Several loose snow avalanches up to size 2 originating near ridgetop on very steep solar aspects were observed yesterday. Debris from recent cornice falls were also noted on steep unskiable terrain which DID NOT propagate any avalanches on the slopes below.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
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.