Avalanche Forecast

Dangerous warming of the upper snowpack is possible twice during the next three day forecast period. Once midday Friday as precip falling at the beginning of the big storm may fall as rain at lower elevations and secondly in the afternoon Sunday as temps climb and the freezing level goes up to approximately 1800 m. During these warm periods the upper snowpack might lose strength and result in loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5. Friday this will be confined to the below treeline elevation band on all aspects and Sunday we will see this mainly on solar aspects in the below treeline and up into the treeline zones. Triggering of these loose wet pushy slides will be likely to possible so during these times it would be smart to avoid exposure to terrain traps (like being above cliffs, depressions, gulleys or bands of trees) that increase the potential depth of burial and the chances of serious trauma.

Strong winds during the storm from the SW and then from the NW after the storm will transport a significant amount of snow to lees and result in wind slab development. These wind slabs will create avalanche danger in the alpine and treeline zones. We can expect these slabs will have a very likely to likely triggering sensitivity and will result in avalanches from size 1 to 2.5.

Significant snowfall Friday afternoon into Saturday morning will result in potential for storm slab avalanche activity. We can expect this problem will be present on all aspects and elevations, with triggering likely to possible and avalanche sizes of 1 up to 2.