Stay cautious around cornices and sunny slopes during peak warmth.
Riding will be best when the crust breaks down with warming or on dry snow in shady alpine areas.
Loose wet avalanches are most likely on steep, south facing slopes in the afternoon - especially near rocks where warming will be most intense.
Loose wet avalanches were reported on Sunday from steep sun-affected slopes. We expect this activity to continue while temperatures remain warm and there is strong sunshine.
Small loose dry avalanches were also reported on shady high-elevation aspects. See photo below.
If you are headed into the backcountry please consider submitting a MIN report.
Strong sunshine and warm temperatures have formed a crust on most surfaces, except on north-facing upper-elevation slopes where the snow may remain loose and dry. Small pockets of wind slab could still linger in those cooler high alpine zones. With daytime warming, the crust will likely soften and melt, improving riding conditions that have been reported as challenging in some areas. However, loose wet avalanches may also become possible during this time. The mid and lower snowpack is dense, well-settled, and currently shows nothing concerning.
Check out this MIN for a great overview of the subpar surface conditions at Flatiron.
Tuesday Night
Clear skies. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. An above-freezing layer is expected from 1500-3000 m.
Wednesday
Sunny. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 2 °C. The above-freezing layer from 1500-3000 m begins to break down.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 500 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 5 to 20 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing levels 500 m rising to 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
