Hot, Hot, Hot! Warm temperatures are forecast to mountain tops this week.
Expect the hazard to rise if the surface crust is breaking down.
Get an EARLY start ....and an early finish to beat this heat.
Cornices will weaken with daytime warming. Pay attention to these large triggers lurking on ridge top features throughout the park.
Rising freezing levels and strong spring sun will weaken the upper snowpack. Avoid exposure to sun effected slopes in the afternoon. Use caution in steep terrain and around terrain traps, were even a small avalanche could have large consequences.
Minimal avalanche activity has been noted in the park the last couple of days
A MIN reported loose snow avalanches on the steep S slopes of Swiss Peak Wednesday.
Neighboring operations have been observing solar triggered loose snow avalanches out of steep terrain this week, up to size 3. As well as a few natural cornice failures up to size 2.5
The most recent storm snow that fell in the alpine has been settled and squished by the warm temperatures on all but the highest North facing slopes. A decent corn snow cycle has been occuring on solar slopes, but timing is everything! With forecasts for rising freezing levels and poor overnight "re-freeze", we could see the snowpack rapidly deteriorate and become isothermal. Expect variable conditions below treeline.
A ridge of high pressure maintains clear skies with rising freezing levels in to the weekend.
Tonight Clear. Alpine Low +5°C. Light South Ridge winds. Freezing Level (FZL) 2600m.
Sat A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine High 7 °C. Wind Light. FZL 2700m.
Sun A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine Low 1 °C, High 4 °C. Light NW wind. FZL 2500m.
Mon Cloudy with wet flurries. Alpine High +6°C. Light SW wind. FZL 2600m.
