Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Northwest Inland.
Assess steep alpine features for wind slab before committing to them.
Confidence
Moderate - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday night: Possibility of light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Moderate gusting to strong southerly winds. Low of -4 at 1500 m.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Moderate southwest winds. Freezing level rising to 1300 m.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with the possibility of light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Light to moderate west winds and freezing level around 1300 m.
Friday: stormy with 5 to 10 cm of new expected. Light to moderate southeast winds and freezing levels around 1100 m.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday several small wet loose avalanches were observed on steep solar terrain in the region.
Snowpack Summary
A supportive crust extends into the alpine on all aspects. This crust could become moist at lowe elevations as the freezing level rises. Wind slabs may be found at high elevations on north and east aspects.
Large overhanging cornices have been observed in the region. Best practice is to limit your time under these hazards.
A couple of layers of weak crystals in the upper snowpack appear to be bonding according to recent snowpack tests. Additionally, we suspect that the surface crust will help bridge these layers, further decreasing their likelihood of triggering.
Terrain and Travel
- Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Moderate to strong winds could form wind slab in the alpine. With very little snow available for transport any wind slab that forms will be small.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5