South Coast

6:30 AM UPDATE: Heavy snowfall, wind, and warming are building dangerous slabs on a widespread weak layer.

Avoid avalanche terrain in areas where 25 cm or more of new snow has fallen.

Moderate

• We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.
• We are uncertain if precipitation will fall as rain or snow.

No new avalanche activity has been reported.

Storm slab avalanche potential will increase over the day if forecasted heavy precipitation falls as snow.

At higher elevations where precipitation falls as snow, a hard crust will be buried and become a sliding surface for storm slab avalanches. Below treeline and in thick trees, the snowpack will remain isothermal.

The mid and lower snowpack is strong and well settled. Average treeline snow depth is 70 to 150 cm. The snowpack tapers rapidly with elevation, especially on sun-facing slopes.

Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Saturday
Cloudy. 45 to 50 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for rapidly changing conditions during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.