Mild temperatures are expected in the morning followed by a cooling trend over the day. The best riding will be in areas sheltered from the warming and wind effects.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY: Morning sun and afternoon clouds with light snowfall at higher elevations and rain below, accumulation 1 to 2 mm, moderate southwesterly winds, alpine temperature 2 C, freezing level 2500 m dropping to 1500 m midday.THURSDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light northwesterly winds, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 1500 m.FRIDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light northeasterly winds, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 1500 m.
Avalanche Summary
Widespread loose wet avalanche activity to size 1.5 was observed on southerly slopes on Monday and Tuesday. Explosive control of cornices produced size 2 to 2.5 releases with no slabs released below.
Snowpack Summary
Warm air temperatures and daytime sun have produced moist snow on all aspects. With dropping freezing levels, the moist snow will harden into a melt-freeze crust. On shady aspects at high elevations, lingering wind slabs in lee features and loose dry in sheltered features may still exist. These snow surfaces are sitting on patchy surface hoar in parts of the region.Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December and late November weak layers are composed of crusts and sugary facets which are down 200-300 cm. These layers have been dormant but may be awoken by a large trigger, such as a falling cornice.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.