Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
Heightened avalanche conditions exist on specific terrain features.
Carefully assess your local conditions and consider how the weather affects the snowpack.
Recent snow has seen mild wind effect. Wind slabs have been soft and specific to immediate lees of ridge crests. They may remain rider-triggerable, especially on steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
Loose wet avalanches will become increasingly likely on steep solar aspects as the surface becomes moist or wet with strong sun.
Small solar-triggered point releases were reported out of steep terrain Monday and Tuesday. A small (size 1) skier-triggered wind slab was also observed on convoluted alpine terrain. Over the past weekend, storm slabs and loose dry avalanches were reported (up to size 1-2) mostly artificially triggered by skiers and explosives.
A moist or crusty surface has likely formed on southerly aspects and below 1000 m. 15 to 30 cm of recent snow has seen modest wind effect, with wind loading mostly isolated to immediate lees of ridgetop. Recent snow appears to be bonding well to underlying surfaces including melt-freeze crusts.
The middle of the snowpack is strong and bonded. At the bottom of the snowpack, a layer of weak facets remains present and continues to be monitored for signs of reactivity.
A vigorous frontal band will arrive on Wednesday evening. Wet, warm & windy conditions are expected to ease on Friday before the following warm front impacts the region over the weekend.
Tuesday night
Mostly cloudy with clear periods. Light southwest wind. Alpine low -8 °C. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries. Light southwest wind increasing to moderate. Alpine high -4 °C. Freezing level rises to 1300 m.
Thursday
Snow. Local amount 15-20 cm. Strong southwest wind gusting 60 km/h. Alpine high -2 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.
Friday
Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries up to 5 cm. Moderate southwest wind gusting 50 km/h. Alpine high -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1400 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
