Cornices are the primary concern. Solar radiation is a common cornice trigger. Limit your exposure when it's cloudy and completely avoid cornices when it's sunny.
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Light southwesterly ridgetop winds. Freezing level around 1700 m.MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Light southwesterly ridgetop winds. Freezing level around 1800 m.TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. Light southwesterly ridgetop winds. Freezing level around 1800 m.
Avalanche Summary
Several loose wet avalanches to size 1.5 were reported in this region on Friday.
Snowpack Summary
10 cm of new snow with strong, southerly winds have created small wind slabs in lee features below alpine ridgetops. A surface crust up to 2300 m. will break down with daytime warming. Cornices remain large, looming, and are best avoided. The snowpack is well settled and continues to transition into a spring snowpack, becoming isothermal at treeline in some areas and below treeline in most areas. The bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets, but this deep persistent weakness has not been reactive for several weeks. However, a large trigger, like a cornice, or rapid warming of the snowpack could potentially trigger this layer.
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.
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.