Daytime highs will once again rise above freezing, especially below and near treeline. Consider your exit strategy out of the mountains wisely. You don't want to be caught on or underneath steep S-W facing slopes that have been getting intense solar for numerous hours. You may still find stubborn wind slabs in the alpine, particularly on N-E aspects.
The winds were strong in the alpine earlier this week, and it's still possible that you may come in contact with a stubborn windslab. If you notice a drum-like or hollow sound and feel to the snow, you are looking at a wind slab. Wind slabs can break above you, and include large chunky debris.
Wet loose danger will rise during the day. If you observe roller balls and pinwheels you know the surface snow is warming. Wet loose avalanches aren't typically large enough to bury a human, but could push you into consequential terrain and can pick up significant mass. This avalanche problem will begin on E-SE aspects and work its way around the compass dial as the sun also moves. The good news is this problem is fairly predictable and can be easily avoided. Daytime heating can also influence cornice failure. On multiple days with temperatures above freezing and light to no overnight freeze, you should give cornices a wide berth.
A good example of a wet loose avalanche.
The first week of March has been significantly different than the last week of February. It's hard to believe we were getting hammered by snow last week, and this week feels like spring is just around the corner. This is a good reminder that as we get closer to the spring equinox, and the sun gets higher in the sky a new host of avalanche problems will be found. This week we are seeing above-average temperatures, with a lot of solar gain. Wet loose avalanche problems are the main concern, as the surface snow gains heat. Cornices become a greater concern, especially when we don't see a hard freeze overnight for multiple nights in a row.
My best advice for managing Wet avalanche problems and cornices is to look at the weather forecast for the day you're going riding, look at the local weather stations and determine if it's been freezing overnight, and if it's going to get warm (>32 degrees) stay off and away from slopes >30 degrees in the afternoon. Learn more about wet snow avalanches here. Once you can feel the snowpack warming you should, A: Exit avalanche terrain, B: Look for higher elevation, or more N facing terrain, C: Play on slopes <30 degrees and stay out from underneath steep slopes and cornices.
It's very important to come up with a plan at the beginning of the day, so you don't end up putting yourself in a dangerous situation at the end of the day trying to make it home.
