North Columbia

The hot and sunny weather persists on Wednesday, which will likely continue the natural avalanche cycle. The danger will be the highest when the day heats up, so make sure you are completely out of avalanche terrain, with no overhead exposure.

High -

TUESDAY NIGHT: Clear skies, light southeast wind, alpine temperature 5 C, freezing level 3100 m.WEDNESDAY: Clear skies, light southeast wind, alpine temperature 6 C, freezing level 3300 m.THURSDAY: Clear skies, light southeast wind, alpine temperature 5 C, freezing level 3100 m.FRIDAY: Partly cloudy skies, light east wind, alpine temperature 4 C, freezing level 2900 m.

The wet loose avalanche cycle continued on Monday, producing small to large (size 1 to 3) avalanches on southeast to southwest aspects. The avalanches were at all elevations. There were also reports of slab avalanches around 30 to 50 cm deep, releasing on the interface described in the snowpack summary.This avalanche cycle is expected to continue, as temperatures remain exceptionally warm and the sun shines strong.

A cohesive slab of snow around 40 to 60 cm thick overlies weak and sugary faceted snow or a melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes. Natural avalanches are expected to continue at this interface.Below treeline, a weak layer of faceted grains and/or feathery surface hoar crystals buried in mid-January can be found around 70 to 120 cm deep, which may be combined with a melt-freeze crust on south aspects. The current warm conditions may awaken this layer, resulting in large, destructive avalanches. Steep cutblocks and large open glades at lower elevations are the most likely places to trigger this layer. Smaller loose wet avalanches may trigger this layer.The lower snowpack is generally consolidated and strong. The exception is around thin, rocky areas in the alpine, where the snowpack is composed of faceted snow. The warm air and sunny skies could trigger very large avalanches that could run to the valley bottom.