Watch out for lingering windslabs at ridgetop in the Alpine.
With the rain and warm temps at lower elevations expect the valley bottom ski-outs to be pretty grim.
Previous strong winds and heavy snowfall created a wind slab in the Alpine. Keep a lookout for this problem in unsupported Alpine lee slopes.
No new avalanches observed over the last few days.
Late last week an avalanche cycle triggered by wind and rain peaked on Thursday night. Several avalanches up to size 3.0 were observed in the highway corridor, some running well into the bare ground on lower elevation fans.
Recent warm temperatures have turned the top of the snowpack moist up to approximately 2500m. As temps drop expect this moist snow to freeze into a crust.
Last week's storm brought approximately 45cm of new snow to the Alpine. Below 2200m this precip fell as rain and saturated the snowpack. The storm also brought strong-extreme Southwest winds which redistributed snow in the Alpine.
There may be a lingering layer of buried surface hoar buried 50-80cms down in the alpine.
Freezing levels should come down abit over the next few days but no real snowfall is in the forecast.
Tonight: Cloudy with flurries, Alpine temperature: Low -1°C , Wind: South 15km/hr, Freezing Level: 2200m
Tues: Flurries. Temp: High -1 °C. FZL 2000m. Light West wind.
Weds: Cloudy with sunny periods. Alpine Low -7°C & High -3°C. FZL 1500m. Wind: SW 20km/hr.
Thurs: Mix of sun and cloud. Snow: Nil . FZL 1600m.
