Spring-like conditions will remain for one more day, then we return to a few days of winter-ish weather. Clouds should knock down the power of the sun today, but if a prolonged amount of sun cooks a suspect slope, beware of wet avalanches.
Weather Forecast
Increasing clouds today with flurries late in the day, bringing 5-10cm overnight with moderate SW winds and freezing levels (FZL) around 1500m. Thursday will be mainly cloudy with sunny periods, light SW winds, and FZL around 1900m. Friday and Saturday will be unsettled, with 5-10cm expected both days, FZL at 1900m, and gusty moderate SW winds.
Snowpack Summary
The spring melt freeze cycle continues. The strong surface crust is unlikely to break down today, with increasing cloud. Below the crust, the snowpack is isothermal in thin snowpack areas BTL. The mid and lower snowpack is strong at tree line and above, where depths are over 2m. Dry snow can be found on Northerly aspects in the alpine.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been observed in the forecast region over the last several days. Last week, numerous glide cracks were opening up and failing at and below treeline on solar aspects.
Problems
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.