Avalanche danger can rise very quickly with warming and solar radiation. Be aware of changing conditions and overhead hazards. Terrain choices and timing can be critical.
Confidence
Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Tonight and Sunday: A ridge of high pressure is anchored over the province bringing clear skies, warm temperatures, freezing levels rising to 2000 m by the afternoon and light to moderate North West winds.Monday: Freezing levels dropping at valley bottom overnight and rising to around 2200 m during the day. Mostly sunny with some cloudy periods and light winds. Tuesday: A low pressure system is expected to bring some light precipitation later during the day and cooler temperatures.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported.
Snowpack Summary
~15 cm of new snow fell throughout the day in the some areas of the region. This new snow was transported by light to moderate Northerly winds most likely creating touchy windslabs on lee alpine slopes. The new snow is sitting on a crust above 1400 m or a moist surface below this elevation. Snow stability is expected to decrease as the day progresses tomorrow, weakening the fresh windslabs and cornices. The deep facet/crust persistent weakness buried at the beginning of February (now down up to 80-100 cm) should stay on your radar, especially on all alpine slopes that will see the intense sun tomorrow. Any activity at this interface would be large and destructive.
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.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.