Avalanche Forecast

Low

No avalanches seen today.

At its simplest, our snowpack is basically 2 layers, divided by the Jan 30th interface. I'll talk about each layer separately for a bit here and then lump them together. Beneath the Jan 30th, the snow is mostly facets, with the occasional crust left over from days past. What makes this layer interesting is how weak its become in the last couple of weeks. Our cold snap made quick work of what little structure we had and has left us with heaps of large facets (weak grains) that refuse to tighten up. This layer will certainly become a problem with additional load. If we get a large storm expect remote triggering and reloading to be a concern. Meanwhile, the surface snow has, and continues to do the opposite. With wind, warm temperatures and new snow its bonding to itself very well. Whether its wind slab, or warm "settlement" slab, there is a definite "upside down" feel to the snow. Looking at these two layers interacting together isn't a pretty picture. At the moment, travel in untracked mid elevation terrain is essentially bottomless. Luckily there's only 80cm of snow, so the bottom isn't that far away.

Looks like our storm got caught up somewhere else. It's still forecasted to arrive tonight, but we'll see. The "snowiest" forecast is calling for snow to start this evening and wrap up by mid morning, giving 13cm of snow. Other forecasts have similar timing, but less snow. Time will tell. Temperatures are expected to be around -2 for the whole event and winds are said to be moderate SW (about 40km/hr). Another pulse is expected Monday morning with more snow and wind.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
• Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.
• Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.