Assess for wind slabs in steep terrain. Watch for loose wet avalanche activity on sun-exposed slopes and cornice falls during the heat of the day.
Strong winds have drifted recent snow into wind slabs that are possible to trigger, especially where the slabs overly a weak layer of surface hoar.
Loose wet avalanche activity is most likely during the heat of the day when clear skies prevail. Avoid overhead exposure on sun-exposed slopes as the snowpack heats up. Note that cornices are also large and could release during daytime heating.
As spring-like weather takes over, the likelihood of avalanches releasing on faceted grains near the base of the snowpack increases. Sporadic destructive avalanches have occurred on these basal faceted grains, predominantly on north through east aspects in alpine terrain. Cornice falls are a possible trigger for deep persistent slab avalanches.
Thursday night: Clear. Light northeast to southeast wind. Freezing level valley bottom.
Friday: Clear. Moderate northwest wind. Freezing level 1300 m.
Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud. Moderate northwest wind. Freezing level 1200 m.
Sunday: Up to 5 cm new snow. Wind easing to light northeast. Freezing level 800 m.
A few cornice failures were observed Wednesday but did not trigger slabs. Loose wet avalanche activity was observed on sun-exposed slopes on Monday.
Looking forward, avalanche activity may increase with daytime warming, as loose wet avalanche activity and cornice falls may occur naturally during the heat of the day. Lingering wind slabs and buried weak layers are still possible to be triggered by riders.
If you decide to travel in the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN) to supplement our data stream as operators are shutting down. Even just a photo of what the day looked like would be helpful.
Wind has varied in direction, meaning that wind slabs may be found on all aspects, particularly in steep terrain adjacent to ridges.
A weak layer of surface hoar crystals buried early March may be found around 40 cm deep. This layer has been most sensitive to human triggering at treeline elevations.
An early-season layer of faceted grains and melt-freeze crust near the base of the snowpack may linger. The most suspect locations to trigger this layer would be where the snowpack is thin near rocky outcrops. A large load, such as a cornice fall, also has the potential of triggering it.
