Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Saturday Overnight: Snowing, around 5 cm accumulation in White Pass. Moderate to strong southerly winds. Freezing level around 500m

Sunday: Continued snowfall, around 5 cm accumulation. Moderate to strong southerly winds. Freezing level around 500m.

Monday: Cloudy, light snowfall. Winds increasing, strong to extreme from the south. Freezing level near valley bottom. 

Tuesday: Snowing, up to 5 cm accumulation. Moderate to strong southwest winds. Freezing level around 500m. 

When the sun came out on Friday, several natural loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed in thin snowpack areas inland from White Pass. These avalanches entrained most of the snowpack, pulling pockets of slab in the track. 

In the past 2 days, a significant storm brought around 40 cm of new snow to the White Pass area. The accompanying strong to extreme southerly winds left a heavily wind-affected surface at all elevations comprised of deep deposits of hard wind slabs, sastrugi, and areas stripped back to the ground or old crusts. 

Below the new snow, a variety of old surfaces exists including a thin rime crust at treeline and hard old wind slabs at higher elevations. In the past week, warm temperatures have promoted settlement and bonding in a hard, consolidated mid-snowpack. The lower snowpack is weak and facetted above the ground surface.

• Keep your guard up at lower elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive.
• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.