West Slopes North

Enjoy the sun on Friday—it’s the last of it before a shift to clouds and wet weather. Avalanche danger remains Low, but very steep slopes could still shed wet snow. Limit your exposure to overhead hazards, such as cornices and glide cracks, which can release without warning.

Reported wet avalanche activity has been minimal after last weekend’s stretch of very warm days and nights, followed by cooler temperatures, freezing, and consolidation. You might still see small pockets of wet snow shedding from cliffs and rocky terrain during the warmest part of the day, and it’s possible to push loose wet snow on very steep slopes. Most of these will be small, but they can still carry you into terrain you don’t want to be in.

The main concern for larger avalanches lingers in alpine terrain above about 5,000 feet. Cornices remain large and haven’t seen the same level of warming as lower elevations, and glide cracks are still widespread in some areas. If heading into glaciated terrain, also be aware of icefall hazards. Pay attention to overhead hazards and give them some space. Small route choices—like avoiding travel under sagging cornices or beneath glide cracks—can go a long way to reducing risk.

Warmer overnight temperatures and increasing high clouds suggest you might see a weaker refreeze on Friday. On the other hand, a build-up of low and mid-level clouds should also keep the sun and additional warming in check in the afternoon. Either way, warming will still be less than Sunday and Monday when 5000-foot temperatures peaked at 58 degrees and overnight lows barely dropped below 50.

While it seems like winter is dead and done for, don’t completely check out yet. Long-range forecasts show the possibility of a return to winter-like weather and something other than Low danger and corn-riding conditions a week or so out.