Spring conditions persist, watch for changing conditions with the potential for increased hazard with daytime warming and solar input.
Weather Forecast
Typical spring weather is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday with freezing levels rising to 2000m in the afternoon and dropping below valley bottom at night. Convective activity may bring isolated flurries. On Thursday we could see up to 15cm of precipitation (rain at lower elevations) with increased winds and the freezing level rising to 2400m
Snowpack Summary
5-10 cm of moist recent snow along the front ranges is sitting on a thick supportive crust in most locations. In most areas we are seeing a typical spring snowpack with crusts breaking down in the heat of the day. Steep north facing alpine terrain is still holding dry snow. The midpack is generally moist and well settled.
Avalanche Summary
Several small loose dry avalanches were observed on Monday with new snow sliding on a thick melt freeze crust.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems 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.