Avalanche Forecast

High -

TUESDAY: Sunny, light southwesterly winds, alpine temperature 4 C, freezing level 3000 m.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light southwesterly winds, alpine temperature 3 C, freezing level 2500 m.THURSDAY:  Mostly cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light westerly winds, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 1500 m.

Numerous wind and wet slabs to size 2 were reported in the region on Sunday, being triggered naturally and by large triggers.  The wet slabs were on southerly aspects in the alpine and the wind slabs were on a northwesterly aspect.  Small loose avalanches to size 1.5 were observed on solar aspects.  Two natural cornice falls were also noted on alpine ridges.The forecast warming and sunshine may wake up a deeper weak layer on steep south facing slopes resulting in large and destructive avalanches.

Warm air temperatures and daytime sun have produced moist snow on solar aspects into the alpine and moist snow on all aspects up to 1400 m.  On shady aspects at higher elevations, expect to find wind slabs in lee features and loose dry in sheltered features.  These snow surfaces are sitting on patchy surface hoar in parts of the region.Cornices are large and prone to failure with warm air temperatures and sunny skies.In the upper to mid snowpack, a surface hoar or facet layer buried mid-February is 80 to 110 cm below the surface on sheltered northerly aspects.Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December and late November weak layers are composed of a combination of crusts and sugary facets which are down 200-300 cm. These layers have been dormant but may be awoken by the warm and sunny weather throughout the weekend or by a large trigger, such as a falling cornice.