Forecasted cooler temperatures and cloud cover will improve conditions (unfortunately not the ski quality).
40-90cm of settled snow overlies weak facets on the Feb 3 interface, which is a crust in most areas. Many natural, human, and explosive-triggered avalanches have occurred on this layer during the recent warm spell.
Many recent avalanches have stepped down to the weak facet and depth hoar layers near the base of the snowpack resulting in large avalanches. This seems to be most common in thin, steep, rocky terrain in the alpine.
Although little activity was observed or reported, today likely marked the tail end of the warm weather. The ski areas reported isothermal snow conditions below treeline. Sunshine patrol reported ski-cutting size 1 loose wet avalanches in the afternoon.
Moist snow up to 2600m on all aspects and higher on solar aspects. Only high north aspects hold dry snow. 40-90 cm of settled snow overlies weaker facets above the Feb 3 interface which is a crust up to at least 2500 m. The base of the snowpack consists of weak facets. Deeper snowpack areas (west of the divide) are more settled and dense.
The high-pressure system will leave the area tomorrow followed by increasing cloud and cooling temperatures. A few centimeters is expected by the end of the day tomorrow. The wind velocity will be variable between moderate and strong, from the West. More snow is expected in the following days.
For more details on the weather, click here.
