The upper snowpack will destabilize at it warms and sun the comes out. Manage your terrain and overhead accordingly. Continue to keep an eye on the mid-February crust layer.
Sun and warm temperatures will moisten and destabilize the upper snowpack. When these conditions exist, keep the features you are on small and manage your overhead hazard accordingly.
Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy. No significant precipitation. Light winds from the south. Temperature -6°C in the alpine.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. No precipitation. Light winds from the southwest. A high of -1°C and a low of -7°C for the alpine. Freezing levels rising to 1100m
Friday: Mostly sunny. No precipitation. Winds will be light from the south switching to north by the afternoon. A high of -3°C and a low of -8°C for the alpine. Freezing levels around 1000m.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. No precipitation. Winds moderate from the north. A high of -2°C and a low of -10°C in the alpine.
A skier accidental, size 1 avalanche was reported on Tuesday. This avalanche occurred in a convex gully sidewall.
A number of loose wet avalanches to size 1 were reported on Wednesday afternoon.
One size 2 avalanche was reported by our field team on a northeast facing aspect in the Seaton alpine. This avalanche appeared to be triggered by a cornice.
Storm slabs and wind slabs are settling and the upper snowpack is bonding well.
A well consolidated 40-60cm slab now sits on top of the mid-February crust. This layer continues to give hard results in test profiles and has not exhibited avalanche activity. That being said, professional guides in the are are watching it closely and still don't trust it completely. When dealing with a slab that is sitting on a crust, it is often prudent to make conservative terrain choices until your suspicions are put to rest through thorough investigation.
