Clearwater

Small but reactive storm and wind slabs will likely have formed by Tuesday morning at treeline and above.

A rugged, shallow snowpack remains at lower elevations.

No recent avalanches have been reported, but observations are limited at this time of year.

Please consider posting a MIN if you are heading out in the backcountry!

Roughly 20 cm of new snow covers faceted snow or surface hoar in sheltered areas, firm wind-affected snow in open areas, and a thin sun crust on steep solar aspects. A supportive melt-freeze crust from mid-November is buried at 30–40 cm and extends up to about 2200 m.

Snow depths at treeline range from roughly 40 to 100 cm.

Below treeline, the snowpack thins significantly; many areas have only a shallow, crusty base or little snow at all.

Watch out for variable snow conditions and quality—early-season hazards such as open creeks, rocks, and stumps are abundant.

Monday Night
Cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow at treeline. 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 0 to 2 cm of snow at treeline. 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 4 cm of snow at treeline. 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow at treeline. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 20 cm of new snow.
• Watch for signs of slab formation throughout the day.
• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.
• Be cautious of buried obstacles, especially below treeline.