Avalanche Forecast

High

A very active period of spring avalanche activity started Friday and has continued through Wednesday. Wet/loose natural and controlled avalanches have been widespread with numerous sz 3, and isolated sz 4's. Many slidepaths failed down to ground once the avalanches reached Treeline elevations and lower. The number of avalanches has started to taper off, but large destructive avalanches are still possible.

Warm temps have penetrated the snowpack creating an moist, isothermal snowpack treeline and below on all aspects and into the alpine on solar aspects. Buried crusts in the upper 50 cm are breaking down. Shallow snowpack features have loose, weak snow to ground.

20-40cm above the ground the Nov 17 basal weakness can still be found in many areas.

As the high pressure weakens, freezing levels will start to drop and convective showers will develop, with rain/snow forecast for the weekend.

Tonight: Cloudy, Alpine Low 9°C, FZL 3500m, light ridgetop wind

Thurs: Mix of sun/cloud w. isolated showers, Alp High 15°C, FZL 3700m, light, gusting to mod E winds

Fri: Mix of sun/cloud, Alp high 12°C, FZL 3500m, light, gusting to mod E winds

• Avoid the runout zones of avalanche paths. Very large avalanches have been running full path.
• As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
• If triggered loose wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.