Spring is seemingly here to stay. Daytime highs and solar input is increasing the loose wet likelihood, especially in late afternoon. When planning a trip, watch the timing of temperature swings and the quality of the overnight freeze.
Watch for sheltered northern areas where this layer may still exist. If triggered slabs could step down into the basal layers. Solar aspects could also see full depth releases during times of intense solar radiation and daytime heating.
The strong April sun and daytime heating will lead to loose wet avalanches, particularly in steep terrain.
No recent activity observed or reported.
The snowpack is steadily transitioning to a Spring snowpack.
On north aspects in the Alpine, dry snow can still be found, and weaknesses in the lower snowpack could still be triggered, as these areas have not completely morphed into a Spring snowpack. Otherwise all other aspects and elevations consist of multiple layers of crusts and/or a well settled snowpack. These crusts will break down through the day depending on air temperatures and solar radiation. There are still many areas with basal facets/depth hoar that could awaken if the snowpack gets warm enough.
Timing is everything. As surface crusts break down during the day the avalanche hazard will begin to increase. Start early and finish early.
The spring swing is in effect. Daytime highs and freezing levels will continue to rise each day, while overnight lows become warmer and shorter in duration. Expect high solar inputs as well, even if skies are cloudy.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
