Heavy rain and snow continues, if you feel brave enough to venture out, watch for rapidly changing conditions.
In accumulations greater than 30 cm, consider the danger to be HIGH.
Heavy snowfall with moderate winds overnight and through the day will create fresh storm slabs. Expect deeper and touchier slabs on north aspects.
Rain has impacted the snowpack. Wet loose avalanches may be triggered in steep terrain, and could run easily on the underlying crust.
A widespread natural wet avalanche cycle continues with heavy loading from snow, rain and wind. As the freezing levels rise and fall over the course of the day, watch for areas where there is a switch between snow and rain occurring.
Check out this MIN from the Skypilot area that shows the widespread activity.
Rain and warm temperatures have impacted the snowpack to mountain top, creating wet and heavy snow. Fluctuating freezing levels may have created melt-freeze crusts within the new snow.
A crust with softer snow overlying it exists down 40 to 60 cm. This soft snow will rapidly shrink and become denser as it gets drenched with rain. The remainder of the mid and lower snowpack is generally settled and well-bonded.
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with mixed precipitation, trace new snow at higher elevations. Alpine wind southwest 30 to 50 km/h. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with mixed precipitation, 20 to 30 cm of snow at higher elevations. Alpine wind south 50 to 60 km/h. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with mixed precipitation, 5 to 15 cm of snow at higher elevations. Alpine wind south 30 to 50 km/h. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Friday
Cloudy with mixed precipitation, 2 to 10 cm of snow at higher elevations. Alpine wind southeast 30 to 50 km/h. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1400 m
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
