It didn't take long for us to jump back into winter conditions with reactive new avalanche problems, especially in the alpine. Let your caution increase in line with your elevation.
A switch to snowfall at high elevations means new storm slabs and wind slabs are forming. Expect this problem to increase in seriousness as you gain elevation.
An avalanche cycle took place in the region over the weekend and through Monday, with many wet slab and wet loose avalanches to size 4 (very large) seen in a wide range of terrain. A report from Tuesday featured a size 4 with a crown over 3 km long! Wednesday was much quieter.
Thursday's switch to snowfall is expected to have brought surface instabilities back online. Increasingly deep and reactive new storm slabs and wind slabs should be expected at higher elevations.
Continuing light flurries should bring 10-30 cm of new snow to the region overnight and through Friday, adding to 20-40 cm expected in the alpine by end of day Thursday. These amounts will taper off quickly at lower elevations. With rain giving way to snowfall, the new snow should accumulate on a newly formed crust but possibly on rain-soaked snow at lower elevations.
Below any new crust at treeline, and especially below treeline, the snowpack is largely isothermal.
The mid and lower snowpack consists of various old crusts and is generally well-settled and well-bonded.
Thursday night
Cloudy with another round of flurries bringing 5-15 cm of new snow above 1500 m, continuing into the day. Southeast alpine winds 30 to 40 km/h.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with flurries continuing from overnight bringing 5-15 cm of new snow. South alpine winds 10 to 30 km/h. Treeline temperature -2°C with freezing level around 1300 m.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine winds vatriable, shifting northerly, 5-10 km/h. Treeline temperature -1°C with freezing level around 1400 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
