Warmth, and eventually rain, will be the primary factors driving the avalanche danger the next few days.
Danger levels will remain elevated with little to no crust recovery forecasted through Thurs.
This is the last daily bulletin of the season.
Warming temperatures and strong solar radiation will weaken these sleepy giants. With "around-the-clock" above freezing temps, they will begin to sag and collapse with little notice. Give them respect!
Watch for moist/wet avalanches during peak daytime warming. Steeper sunny slopes and areas with a thin snowpack are the most affected by solar radiation.
With several nights of poor surface crust recovery at treeline, warmth is percolating deeper into the snowpack. Expect extremely destructive avalanches if natural activity steps down to this layer (down 1.5-2m in the snowpack).
Limited overnight crust recovery with alpine temperature inversions.
Tonight: Mainly cloudy. Alpine low 0*C, freezing level (fzl) 2200m, light W wind.
Tues: Mix of sun/cloud, High 4*C, fzl 2500m, light/gusting mod SW wind
Wed: Rain or Flurries, 11cm, Alp high 1*C, fzl 2400m, light/gusting strong SW wind
We have 2 distinct snowpacks.
Below treeline the spring-time melt-freeze snowpack is solid in the morning, and breaks down with daytime warming.
In the Alpine, on N'ly slopes you'll find a more winterlike snowpack with settled dry powder, and variable crusty surfaces on solar aspects.
Cornices are large and looming.
With the warmth at elevation and limited overnight cooling, loose/wet avalanche activity is increasing on all aspects along the highway corridor. Most of these avalanches are entraining surface snow only, but steep S'ly paths are starting to see some deeper gouging as temps stay warm overnight.
