Avoid avalanche terrain. The snowpack is not adjusting well to the rapid change to warm temperatures and intense solar radiation.
Problèmes avalancheux
Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpin
Limite forestière
Sous la limite forestière
Probabilité
Likely - Very Likely
Taille
1–2
Wind slabs have become active with the recent heat, and recent avalanches have occurred on all aspects.
Loose Wet
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpin
Limite forestière
Sous la limite forestière
Probabilité
Very Likely - Certain
Taille
1–2
Loose wet slides will occur on solar aspects at all elevations as temps warm up. Steep thin areas will be more vulnerable to this type of activity. They may trigger slabs as they gain mass.
Deep Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpin
Limite forestière
Sous la limite forestière
Probabilité
Likely - Very Likely
Taille
2–3
Warmer temps have woken up this layer. Shallow snowpack areas and cornice triggers are of particular concern. This problem deserves respect as any resulting avalanche will be full depth.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
This week's weather looks sunny and hot for the duration. Tuesday should see high temperatures near +6 at ridge-top and freezing levels climbing to 3100m. Winds will be light from the North. Wednesday and Thursday look similar, if not a bit warmer.
Avalanche Summary
More avalanche activity again today, with slides up to size 2.5. Numerous loose wet avalanches occurred at all elevations. At Treeline and Alpine elevations wind slabs and deep persistent slabs were again active on all aspects.
Snowpack Summary
As we quickly enter spring, the alpine snowpack is changing...FAST! The sudden spike in temperatures and solar exposure are making crusts more of a widespread layer. Expect them on any slope that sees the sun. On the shaded aspects, we have those lingering wind slabs to worry about. All evidence points to these wind slabs being very sensitive to temperature changes. The lack of support within the snowpack is preventing any sort of anchoring. Treeline has a similar issue, only the wind slabs are thinner and not as widespread. The treeline slabs may be even touchier because of their thin nature and shorter recover (re-freeze) time at night.To share an opinion, this year's snowpack has a character that we haven't seen before. We have a long history with facets and depth hoar, but this year's crop is off the charts. As such, we feel it's necessary to acknowledge the uncertainty by avoiding large terrain right now. The snowpack has no trustworthy qualities right now.