Avalanche Forecast

Over the previous forecast period cool temperatures persisted with alpine temperatures dropping to the mid teens. These cool temperatures where combined with light north wind and intermittent light flurries.

A parade of winter storms are set to enter our region over the coming forecast period. The initial storms will continue to arrive cool. Fridays storm will deliver increasingly warm temperatures.Wednesday 10-15 cm, Winds strong from the North east, Freezing levels 1000 meters.Thursday trace 30-50 cm, Winds strong from the South west, Freezing levels 500 meters.Friday 10-20, Winds strong from the South east, Freezing levels 500 meters.

Seek sheltered and low angle terrain during the incoming storm events, ensure avoidance of overhead hazard. Careful snow pack assessment and selective route finding is essential when entering any convex roll or steep features.

Upper snow pack is variable with wind effect stripping and pressing north aspects and loading and depositing snow on south aspects. Upper snow pack in areas not effected by the wind remains low density and shows little in the way of slab properties. The past warm and wet weather has developed thick and very dense melt freeze crusts that have essentially bridged the snow pack and created a layer that is moderately reactive to testing. The lower snow pack is settled and dense, with a basal instability still present in the upper alpine.

• Surface: Variable surface conditions exist from stripped and pressed on North aspects and freshly loaded on south aspects.
• Upper: Up to 30 cm of low density snow and on windward aspects a stiff and dense crust
• Mid: a varity of meflt freeze crusts can be found
• Lower: dense and settled with a faceted basal instability fond on the upper alpine

Moderate - Increased field observations.