With overnight temperatures cooling along with a slight increase in Easterly wind, the soft and saturated surface from yesterday has likely undergone a superficial re-freeze. This will mainly be the case above treeline while below treeline increased cloud cover is expected to have kept the surface wet and unsupportable. In general, the snowpack has been through many melt/freeze cycles and has seasoned to our warm spring-time temperatures. We have yet to see any significant wet avalanche activity, but we also have yet to see an extended significant day/night warm up. For anyone traveling in the mountains today, the two main avalanche concerns to keep in mind are:
Wet loose point release avalanches:
In very steep terrain (40+ degrees) wet loose snow sluffs will be possible to initiate where the surface has melted, lost its strength and is composed of several inches or more of wet and sloppy snow.
Wind slabs (above 3,000′):
Though the wind is forecast to blow in the 15-25mph range from the East, there is a lack of dry snow available for transport. The exception will be at the highest elevations – above 3,000′ – where shallow winds slabs may form with any new snow today (1-2″ forecast) or preexisting snow soft enough to be drifted.
Cornice failure:
Many cornices are still hanging on to the Ridgelines. Though there has been little in way of cornice falls this season, they are nothing to mess with and continuing to steer clear of these on the ridgelines as well as from below is prudent.
Photo below – cornices along the Seattle Ridgeline.
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