Rising freezing levels with clear, sunny skies may create a wet loose problem anywhere in direct sun. Small reactive wind slabs could be found at upper elevations.
Pocket of wind slab may exist in the alpine. They may become more reactive with rising temperatures, especially where they sit above a crust/ facet interface 15 to 30 cm below.
Loose wet snow can slide far and fast on a solid crust. Watch for softening of the surface around rocks and on sunny slopes in the alpine.
No new avalanches have been reported in the past week.
There are few observations from this region. If you are getting out, please share observations like weather and riding conditions to the Mountain Information Network.
Rising freezing levels will promote moist or wet snow surfaces on most aspects to mountain top. You may be able to find small wind-affected pockets of dry snow on high north facing slopes in the alpine.
At treeline and below, a prominent crust buried late January sits 15 to 30 cm beneath the moist surface snow.
The mid-December facet/crust layer is buried approximately 80 cm deep.
The average snowpack depth at treeline is 90 to 140 cm.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear skies. 1 mm of rain at treeline. 110 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.
Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.
Friday
Mostly sunny. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2800 m.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
