The hazard may go higher in select terrain due to daytime heating. Cornice features are definitely something to be concerned with!
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain
Weather Forecast
A trace of precipitation this evening, then clearing skies and sun for the remainder of the forecast period. Freezing levels are expected to rise to 1500 m for the early part of next week, then climbing to 2000 by Wednesday.. Moderate southerly alpine winds expected tonight, then light winds predominantly from the East..
Avalanche Summary
Reports of small size 1 natural avalanches in steep terrain early in the day, then small wet avalanches from solar heating on southern aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 50cm of recent storm snow is sitting on a crust from earlier in the week. Reports suggest this 5 cm thick solid rain crust exists up to at least 2200m. Recent southwest winds have shifted new accumulations into touchy wind slabs in lee terrain. A facet/crust persistent weakness buried mid-March is down approximately 70-130 cm and is still producing hard but sudden results in snowpack tests. This remains a serious in the region due to it's potential to produce very large avalanches. Cornices are now large and a cornice fall might trigger a large destructive avalanche. Solar aspects are now becoming active with daytime warming.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.