http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/links/goto_e.asp?destination=Unseasonably warm temperatures and intense sunshine will rapidly destabilize the upper snowpack. Avoid travel on or below solar-exposed slopes.
Weather Forecast
Welcome to the diurnal spring swing! Today will be sunny with an alpine high of 7*C, light winds with a freezing level rising to 3100m. The drastic temperature swings continue through the week as a strong upper ridge builds over the region, bringing clear skies and daylight freezing levels up to 3300m.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is undergoing rapid changes as it transitions from Winter to Spring. Isothermal conditions are present at lower elevations, accompanied by melt freeze/sun crusts on all but true North aspects in the Alpine. Temps did not go below freezing last night at higher elevations! And a ~40cm slab exists in the Alpine and at Tree Line.
Avalanche Summary
A large natural spring avalanche cycle started Sunday producing loose wet and slab avalanches to size 3. With no re-freeze overnight, above average temperatures, and strong solar input; the cycle is forecasted to continue through this week. A group of 4 skiers triggered a sz 2 ascending to Mt Green, on Sunday.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable
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.
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.