Well, the temps are finally dropping, so new precipitation over the weekend may come as snow.
The bad news? A developing surface crust will make backcountry travel difficult and grim.
The worse news? Backcountry travel is already grim, with heavy, wet slop still dominating surface conditions at lower elevations.
Loose, wet snow avalanches will still be possible at lower elevations, but should cease once freezing levels return to the valley bottom.
Ongoing warm temps and light rain showers, have triggered isolated large avalanches in steep gullies above the highway over the past couple of days.
A widespread natural avalanche cycle was observed on all aspects and elevations Sunday through Tuesday, with many very large avalanches running full path and gouging deeply in confined gullies. Avalanche control within and adjacent to the park produced numerous avalanches up to size 3.5, some showing wide propagation.
The recent warm weather and rain has soaked the upper snowpack. This is beginning to freeze into a crust as temps cool, making for difficult and hazardous travel conditions at all elevations and on all aspects.
A sun crust (Jan 3), down 60-80cm, can be found at and below Tree-line on S-SW aspects. Wet surface avalanches have been stepping down to this layer and deeper within confined gullies.
The Dec 1 surface hoar layer, down ~120cm, is decomposing.
Temps are dropping through the weekend. Minor amounts of snow(!) may arrive Sunday.
Tonight: Mainly Cloudy. Alpine low -6°C. Freezing level (FZL) 1400m. Light NW ridgetop winds.
Saturday: Isolated flurries. Alpine high -4°C, FZL 1600m. Light NE wind.
Sun: Scattered flurries (~5cm). Low -7°C, High -6°C. FZL 1400m. Light SE wind.
Mon: Mainly cloudy. Low -8°C, High -6°C. FZL 1500m.
