Look for signs of a warming snowpack, the likelihood of loose wet avalanches will increase with rising temperatures, especially in areas where fresh snow has accumulated.
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy / west wind, up to 20 km/h / treeline temperature +2 C / freezing level 1400 mMONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / south wind, up to 25 km/h / treeline temperature +4 C / freezing level 1600 mTUESDAY: Cloudy with sunny breaks / southwest wind, 10-25 km/h / treeline temperature +3 C / freezing level 1700 mWEDNESDAY: Flurries, 15-20 cm accumulation / southwest wind, 20 gusting to 40 km/h / treeline temperature -4 C / freezing level 1400 m
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported in the region. The likelihood of loose wet avalanches on sun-affected slopes will increase throughout the day as temperatures rise and the snowpack warms, especially in areas where fresh snow has accumulated.
Snowpack Summary
Precipitation amounts totaled 80 to 100 mm over the weekend. This has likely fallen as snow above around 1700 m and as rain below 1200 m, where the snowpack is rapidly melting. Between 1200 m and 1700 m, expect a rapid change from 0 cm to 80 cm of recent snowfall. The snow has likely been blown around by strong south wind.
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.
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.