Rain will change to snow Friday AM with 20 cm possible through the day. Dangerous avalanche conditions will continue until cold temperatures stabilize the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures will remain warm overnight with up to 10mm of rain. Easterly winds begin Friday am and temperatures will fall. Rain will change to snow with 20 cm possible by Friday night. Cool temperatures and snow through the weekend with total storm accumulation of 35 cm possible.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is warm at all elevations with isothermal conditions on all but northerly alpine aspects. Rain overnight will continue to deteriorate the snowpack at treeline and below. Stability will return to the snowpack base as temperatures drop through the weekend however surface storm snow instabilities are likely.
Avalanche Summary
A significant avalanche cycle continues at all elevations, most observations have been on southerly aspects.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Friday
Problems
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
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.