Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain for the entire period

Friday: Clouds and a few cm of snow, falling as rain below about 1400 m. Freezing level around 1600 m. Light northerly winds.Saturday: Cloudy with sunny breaks. Light, variable winds. Freezing level around 1500 m.Sunday: Warm, dry and cloudy. Freezing level rising to 1800-2000 m. Light winds, increasing from the SW by evening as a low pressure system approaches.

Recent reports include cornice fall and loose wet avalanches. Full-depth size 2-3 glide avalanches have been releasing on rock slabs.

Rain fell to 2000 m on Wednesday. Ongoing warm temperatures and the rain have caused the surface snowpack layers to become isothermal (at 0 °C), even on north aspects, to about 2100 m. This is expected to have formed a crust in some areas, now covered by a small amount of new snow. Very large cornices are looming. Glide cracks have opened up and pose the threat of large, full-depth releases, especially on steep rocky terrain features at low elevations. Otherwise, a relatively strong and deep spring snowpack exists, which becomes weak during periods of warm weather or rainfall. A buried crust/surface hoar layer from late March, within the upper 1.5 m of the snowpack, is reported to have gained strength in the Duffey Lake area, but remains a lingering concern.