Check out our Forecasters' Blog about factoring extreme cold into your trip plans. Small problems can spiral out of control quickly in these conditions.
Avalanches are possible in isolated terrain features like gullies and alpine bowls where deeper deposits of snow may sit atop a weak, faceted basal snowpack.
No new or recent avalanches have been reported, however there are very few field observations coming from this forecast area.
If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Around 15 cm of new snow fell in the region early in the week. It added to an existing skiff of snow atop a widespread crust that exists up to 1400 m. South and west-facing alpine slopes are generally scoured but may see some wind transporting snow onto them with the northerly winds.
The snowpack is generally shallow and faceted (weak, sugary) with multiple crusts in the mid-snowpack. Pockets of deeper, wind-loaded snow may be found near ridges, gully features, and established avalanche paths.
Average snowpack depths at treeline vary between 20 to 80 cm.
Thursday night
Cloudy with no new snow, northerly 5-15 km/h, treeline temperature low of -39°C.
Friday
Sunny with no new snow, northerly winds 5-15 km/h, treeline temperature high of -28°C.
Saturday
Sunny with no new snow, northerly winds 5-10 km/h, treeline temperature high of -21°C.
Sunday
Mostly sunny with no new snow, northerly winds 5-10 km/h, treeline temperature high of -20°C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
