Spring-like diurnal conditions exist and the rating reflects the highest hazard level anticipated during the day. Pay attention to steep south facing slopes as they heat up in the afternoon and possibly destabilize. Give looming cornices a wide berth from above and below.
Where cornices exist they pose a threat both from the potential to collapse under your feet (or machine) and from the potential to send large chunks of snow far down a slope. If anything can trigger the more stubborn persistent weak layers it's a large falling cornice. They are most likely to fail during the heat of the day.
Slopes that face the sun will become unstable as they warm during the day.
A ridge of high pressure will remain anchored over the Interior until Thursday bringing warmer temperatures and sunny skies.
The typical spring-like diurnal weather pattern will hold afternoon alpine temperatures near -2 and freezing levels around 1500-2000 m. Overnight periods will see the freezing levels drop back to the valley bottom.
An approaching Pacific frontal system will move onto the coast Wednesday bringing unsettled weather and new snow to the Interior regions by Friday and through the weekend.
There have been no recent avalanche reports from this region. Sunshine and daytime warming may initiate loose wet avalanches on steep solar slopes and weaken cornices.
Dry snow can be found on shaded aspects at upper elevations. On solar aspects and at lower elevations expect crusty snow in the morning and soft, moist snow in the afternoon. Lingering wind slabs and large cornices may still pose a hazard close to alpine ridgelines.
A persistent weak layer of facets 40-60 cm deep that was buried in mid-February was reactive in the north of the region earlier this month but since the first week of March, only a couple of avalanches have been reported on this layer resulting from large triggers such as cornice fall. There are several other weak layers deeper in the snowpack composed of old surface hoar, facets and/or crusts, all of which have been recently unreactive.
