Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing, track, & intensity of the incoming weather system.

Monday night: Expect 5-10 cm additional new snow in the wake of Monady's storm. Winds becoming moderate northerly.

Tuesday: Dry with some sunshine. Winds moderate northeasterly in the morning becoming light in the afternoon. Temperatures lowering to around -15 C.

Wednesday: 10-15 cm new snow. Strong southerly winds. Temperatures around -6C.

Thursday: 5-10 cm new snow. Moderate southwesterly winds. Temperatures around -9C.

It seems very likely that avalanches would have occurred Monday in response to the storm, but at the time of writing we have not had any reports. A second storm on Wednesday/Thursday is also likely to produce at least some, relatively small natural avalanches.

Recent new snow has been redistributed by winds blowing from the south to west quadrant. Wind effect is widespread in exposed areas. Snowpack tests indicate the mid-pack near White Pass is reasonably strong with no persistent weak layers. This suggests the upper storm and wind slab layers should be the main focus of concern at this time. There is reported to be excellent powder and riding in more wind protected / sheltered areas.

Snow depths at White Pass are around 150 cm at our wind protected Fraser study plot. Deeper locations (higher terrain west of the highway) have more than 200 cm, while on the east of the highway depths are around 175 cm. It's reasonable to expect a thin snowpack composed mainly of sugary facets in the Wheaton Valley, and thinner wind-scoured alpine areas.

• Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 20 cm of new snow.
• Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
• Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
• Even brief periods of direct sun could produce natural avalanches.