Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

A strong westerly flow is driving a series of Pacific frontal systems through the Interior regions tonight through the week. Each system will be a bit stronger bringing moderate to heavy snow amounts and strong winds.Sunday Night: Snow 10-20 cm with alpine temperatures -12 and southwest winds 50-80 km/hMonday: Snow 5-10 cm with alpine temperatures near -12 and ridgetop winds southwest 40-70 km/h.Tuesday: Snow 5-10 cm with alpine temperatures -9 and ridgetop winds light from the southwest.Wednesday: Light flurries with alpine temperatures -9 and ridgetop winds 30 gusting to 60 km/h.

No recent avalanches reported on Sunday. Forecast strong winds and heavy snow will continue to build touchy storm slabs on Monday.

Up to 20 cm of new storm snow sits above a plethora of old snow surfaces including stiff wind affected snow, faceted (sugary) crystals and surface hoar crystals that formed in locations sheltered from the wind. The new storm snow will likely have a poor bond to these. The mid-November crust is buried down 70-150 cm and produces variable results in snowpack tests. Moderate results may be more likely in shallower snowpack areas, and deeper snowpack areas may be more likely to show no results on this layer. Tracking and monitoring this potentially weak interface is crucial especially as we move forward into this snowy period where the snowpack will see more load.