Regions
Northwest Inland.
This bulletin is based on very limited field data. Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
Confidence
Poor - Due to limited field observations
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Light precipitation starting Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday / light southeast winds / freezing level at 1500m Friday: Light precipitation / light to moderate northerly winds / freezing level at 1200m Saturday: generally clear skies / light and variable winds / freezing level at 1500m
Avalanche Summary
We have had very little information about recent avalanche activity from this region. Based on observations from the Northwest Coastal region, I would expect wet loose snow avalanches have been occurring up to size 2 on solar aspects.
Snowpack Summary
We have had very little information about the snowpack in this region for several days now. However, I suspect the warmer temperatures and generally light winds have consolidated the snowpack in many areas. Anticipate extensive crusts on solar aspects and moist snow at lower elevations. On shady aspects, I suspect you can still find pockets of dry snow, which may sit over previous old wind slabs. Wet slabs become a possibility during periods of prolonged warming, especially if there is minimal amounts of overnight freeze. Expect cornices to be large and potentially unstable, especially under sunny skies.
Problems
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
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.