While the storm is finally over, remain cautious, especially with your approach to terrain choices in the Alpine Monday.
Weather Forecast
The Pineapple Express is finally done, unfortunately it looks like warm temperatures are here to stay. Monday: Freezing Level at 1700m, light variable winds, 3 to 5mm of precipitation. Tuesday looks very similar. On Wednesday ridgetop winds are expected to increase to moderate SW as freezing levels climb throughout the day, looks like they could go as high as 2300m. No precipitation expected.
Avalanche Summary
Explosive control work Saturday produced storm slab avalanches to size 3 running 50 to 150cm in depth on the early February crust. Natural loose wet avalanches were reported to have run in the last 48 hours to size 2 as high as 2150m.
Snowpack Summary
The wet warm storm has produced 30 to as much as 100cm of snow above 2200m. The snow is wet below 2000m and saturated below treeline. Moderate to strong winds out of the SW through SE have likely formed deep slabs at upper elevations. All the new snow rests on the early February rain crust which remains stout and supportive. Avalanches have been running on the crust or on mid storm instabilities. We have not received any reports of avalanches running below the crust. Reports indicate that the bond between the storm snow and crust is strengthening. Warm temps should allow that trend to continue.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.