Pay attention to changing conditions with rising temperatures and the possibility of falling snow turning to rain, as this will increase the avalanche danger.Quality riding found on polar aspects.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with 6cm of forecasted snow starting this afternoon. Temps will rise to +6 in valley bottoms and near 0 in the alpine with a freezing level of 2000m. Winds will range between 15-35km/hr from an easterly direction. Friday will see more snow with accumulation up to 20cm, colder temps and strong winds.
Snowpack Summary
Above treeline the snow remains dry, burying a previous melt freeze crust that extends up to 2300m on all aspects and to mountaintop on solar aspects. Buried surface hoar found in isolated protected areas down ~20cm. Below treeline the upper snowpack contains a series of crusts at or near the surface and is becoming isothermal at valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
Limited natural avalanche activity over the last few days, except for sluffing out of steep unsupported terrain.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Problems
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.
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.