A thick surface crust makes for generally safe avalanche conditions but difficult travel. Alpine terrain features with a surviving snowpack are also where you'll find cornices overhead.
Rapid temperature fluctuations may have a destabilizing effect on large, looming cornices. Even small cornice falls can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly.
Loose wet avalanches are possible where the snow surface becomes moist or wet with daytime warming.
Early last week, a natural avalanche cycle was reported on north to east aspects in the alpine. Slabs were up to size 2.5 with crowns up to 100 cm deep, sliding on a crust layer. Thank you for the amazing MIN reports! Check out the photos on this one!
Avalanche activity is expected to have subsided with the dryer, cooler conditions this weekend.
The surface of the rain-soaked snowpack is refreezing into a crust under cool temperatures. Rain has washed away the snowpack in many areas. Areas where the snowpack is most likely to have survived include previously wind-loaded leeward terrain features such as north-facing alpine bowls, gullies and ridgelines. These are also the types of features where large cornices loom above.
Saturday night
Mostly cloudy. Ridgetop wind 30 to 50 km/h south. Alpine temperature 0 C. Freezing level 300 m.
Sunday
Cloudy. Ridgetop wind 10 to 20 km/h southeast. Alpine temperature -1 C. Freezing level 200 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. Ridgetop wind 10 to 30 km/h east. Alpine temperature -1 C. Freezing level 200 m.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud. Ridgetop wind 20 to 40 km/h northeast. Alpine temperature +1 C. Freezing level 500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
