While avalanche hazard is improving with cooling temperatures, human-triggered persistent slab avalanches remain a concern in areas not capped by a thick surface crust.
Concern remains for human-triggering the persistent weak layer on sheltered north aspects above 2000 m. If triggered avalanches will be large and destructive. Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
No new avalanches were reported in the region on Wednesday.
Through the prolonged warming event, avalanche activity in the region was observed up to size 4. Steep rocky terrain and direct solar slopes were the most impacted. Evidence of this natural avalanche cycle will still be visible to backcountry users who head into the mountains on Friday.
A dusting of snow overlies a melt-freeze crust that covers the snow surface at all elevations. The exception is on north-facing terrain above 2000 m where the surface remained dry through the prolonged warming. Below the crust is 50 to 80 cm of moist snow.
100 to 250 cm down is a weak layer of facets overlying a crust. This layer was the culprit in many very large avalanches through the extended warm period. Uncertainty remains around how long this layer will persist with cooler temperatures.
Below the crust, the snowpack is well settled.
Thursday
Cloudy. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1500m.
Friday
Cloudy. 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level 1600m.
Saturday
Partly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 10 to 25 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1500m.
Sunday
Mainly sunny. 20 to 40 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1500m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
