Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Sunday

Sunday: 15-25cm of snow - moderate southwest winds - freezing level at 1100m Monday: light snowfall - moderate to strong southwest winds - freezing level at 800m Tuesday: very light snowfall - moderate southwest winds - freezing level at surface. Confidence is fair in snowfall amounts forecast for Sunday

Avalanche observations were extremely limited on Thursday and Friday; however, natural avalanches to size 2.5 were observed on Wednesday. On the same day, it was suspected that cornice fall was the trigger for a size 3.5 slab on a west facing alpine feature. Several skier-triggered size 1.5 avalanches within the recent storm snow were also reported in the region. Expect ongoing storm slab avalanches as well as deep persistent slab avalanches throughout the forecast period, especially with weather forecast for Sunday.

Recent moderate snow accumulations and strong winds have created extensive wind transport at higher elevations, and recently developed hard and soft wind slabs now exist at treeline and in the alpine. In the mid snowpack lies the mid-February surface hoar. Buried over a metre down, this surface hoar may exist in combination with crusts or facets. These persistent weaknesses have remained reactive all week and are an ongoing concern at all elevations as avalanches may be unexpectedly large, and destructive. Large cornices have formed and could also act as a trigger on the slope below.