It's a mixed bag out there with wind affect up high and crusty tree-bombed cream cheese down low.
Tread lightly, especially in areas that have not recently avalanched.
Storm slabs are gaining strength with settlement and warm temps, but wide propagations are occurring where triggered.
Caution at treeline and below, where surface hoar may be preserved. Wind effect at treeline and above has also created slabs
Break in the weather tonight. Precipitation returns this weekend with temperatures remaining warm.
Tonight: Isolated flurries, 5cm. Freezing level 1300m. Wind SW 35 to 50 km/h
Sat: Scattered flurries, 4cm. Fzl 1300m. Wind W 25 gusting to 50 km/h
Sun: Snow, 17cm. Fzl 1300m. Wind SW 25-35 km/h
Storm slabs have formed with ~40cm of storm snow, warm temps and mod/strong SW winds. These have buried a Jan11 surface hoar layer observed up to 4-6mm, found at treeline and below. The Dec 1 crust is now buried up to 2m deep and remains dormant.
Today, a size 3.0 avalanche released naturally from a steep solar path at treeline (Cougar Corner 6). The sun also triggered numerous small (up to size 1.5) loose dry avalanches from steep, rocky terrain features.
A widespread natural cycle of avalanches up to size 4 occurred overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.
