Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to whether buried persistent weak layers become active, triggering avalanches, with the arrival of the forecast weather.

Saturday night: A storm will hit the region tonight bringing up to 10mm of precipitation. The North part of the region will see freezing levels rise to 1500m and moderate to strong Southwest winds. The Southern part of the region will see more intense weather, freezing levels will rise to 2000m and winds will be strong from the Southwest.

Sunday: Freezing levels will rise to 2000m throughout the range. 10mm of precipitation is expected for most of the region except for the Bugaboos where up to 35mm is expected. Winds will be strong from the Southwest.

Monday: Some light flurries throughout the day. Freezing level 1700m and light to moderate Southwest winds.

Tuesday: Some light flurries with light to moderate Southwest winds. Freezing levels around 1800m.

Several storm slabs up to size 2 were reported in the Purcells on Friday. We suspect a natural cycle will take place early Sunday morning with the incoming storm.

The incoming storm will form new storm slabs and wind slabs in the treeline and alpine. A surface hoar layer has been observed down 20cm in some parts of the range. A mid November rain crust is down 30 to 60cm and exists below 2100m.

Several early season crusts exist throughout the lower pack. A late October facet/crust layer sits at the bottom of the snowpack. it likely only exists above 1900m.

• Use caution on large alpine slopes, especially around thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilities.
• Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.