Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Wednesday

Wednesday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries picking up throughout the day. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds with freezing levels in valley bottoms. Thursday: Expect 15-25cm of new snow by the morning (or more in westerly "upslope" areas) with light snow flurries throughout the day, winds should ease off and freezing levels are expected to remain in valley bottoms. Friday: Cloudy with isolated flurries turning to light snow in the afternoon, light to moderate winds and freezing levels remaining in valley bottoms.

Reports from Monday are limited to relatively harmless natural wet sluffs on steep sun-exposed slopes, and dry sluffs with ski cutting on faceted shady slopes. Expect wind and storm slab avalanche activity to pick up with stormy weather throughout the forecast period.

Large surface hoar growth and surface faceting continues in sheltered and shady areas, open unprotected areas are highly wind-affected, while sun-exposed slopes have been subject to melt-freeze cycles. All of these current snow surfaces will likely provide a poor bond once buried, and will be especially concerning when and where a sufficiently deep and cohesive slab develops. The persistent weakness buried early January recently produced moderate sudden planar compression test results where is was found down 45cm on a steep north facing alpine slope. However, in general, this persistent weakness is much deeper and no longer reacting in snowpack tests.