Weather Forecast
There will be light snow flurries in the higher elevations with occasional showers in the valley bottom through to mid week. Temperatures are expected to remain cool with light Northerly winds. Sunny periods are expected later in the week before returning to overcast skies and precipitation.
Snowpack Summary
A spring snowpack now exists in the forecast area. Clear nights with below freezing temperatures will make a supportive snowpack and good travel conditions. If no freeze occurs, it will become isothermal and melt quickly. Northerly aspects may still retain some deeper instabilities that could produce large slab avalanches during warm weather.
Avalanche Summary
Redistributed storm snow may produce avalanches to size 2 on lee aspects and lee terrain features. Northerly aspects in the alpine have lingering deep snow instabilities that may produce larger avalanches later in the season. Warmer weather will result in loose snow avalanches from steeper terrain on warm, sunny days.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.