Spring Conditions. If the sun comes out, the strong solar radiation will heat up the snowpack rapidly and avalanche danger will increase. New wind slabs may not be well bonded to the old surface crust.
Weather Forecast
Mostly cloudy overnight with light to moderate northerly winds developing and freezing levels down close to 1000 metres by morning. Mostly clear on Thursday with a chance of scattered convective flurries and freezing levels climbing to 2000 metres. Overcast with convective flurries on Friday combined with light southerly winds. Freezing levels starting out near 1500 metres and rising up to at least 2000 metres. Not much of a re-freeze expected for Saturday morning, mostly sunny with freezing levels climbing to at least 2500 metres.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported. Most commercial operations in the region have closed for the season, and data has become sparse. Expect this spring cycle to continue for one more day before cooler weather arrives on Wednesday.
Snowpack Summary
The snow surface is currently going through a typical spring melt-freeze cycle on all aspects and at all elevations, except possibly high true-north slopes which could be holding onto cold snow. The strength (thickness) of the surface crust and how quickly it breaks down during the day are important factors to focus on. It looks like it may flip back to spring after a day of winter. Watch for new snow releasing as loose wet avalanches when the sun comes out. Thin new wind slabs may be easy to trigger when they are exposed to strong solar radiation.
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.
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.