Cooler temperatures and overcast sky's are forecast for Tuesday, but pay attention to solar radiation. If the sun comes out, conditions could deteriorate quickly on solar aspects.
Below the recent snow a 30-80 cm slab sits on the weak facetted lower snowpack. On all but high north aspects, recent sun crusts and the March 27 rain crust cap this slab providing some security. Use caution in higher, thin snowpack areas or where these crusts are weak or breaking down with heating.
No avalanches were observed or reported on Monday.
Light wind effect in the alpine. On alpine north aspects, 15-30 cm of dry settled snow sits over the Mar 27 crust that exists to ~2500 m. On solar aspects sun crusts are present to ridgetop with moist snow later in the day. A supportive surface crust exists in most places below treeline.
A 30-70 cm firm midpack overlies the weak January facets and basal depth hoar which remain a concern.
Treeline snowpack depths range from 100 to 150 cm.
A slight cooling trend will bring temperatures back to seasonal norms, with valley highs just above 0°C and ridgetop temps near -10°C. Model guidance suggests up to 7 cm of snow overnight Tuesday, though totals may vary. Winds will be variable in direction, with potential for strong gusts.
