Avalanche Forecast

High

• We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.

Only a few small loose dry avalanches from steep terrain have been observed in the storm so far, but new snow is piling up and hazard is on the rise.

Successive rounds of snowfall and wind should keep avalanche conditions heightened through the forecast period.

20 to 30 cm of new snow should accumulate by end of Wednesday, bringing new snow totals to about 40 cm, with strong winds accompanying it all.

The new snow has buried a variety of surfaces:

-In the alpine, a widespread melt freeze crust on solar aspects and within the band of recent above freezing layers.

-Firm and wind-affected surfaces in the rest of the alpine

-At treeline and below treeline, a robust melt-freeze crust. This may be paired with large surface hoar in sheltered areas--a bad combo.

-Faceting has recently been observed on all these surfaces.

The January 3rd surface hoar is still a layer of note, found 100 to 250 cm deep.

Treeline snow depths throughout the region range from 250 to 450 cm.

Tuesday Night
Cloudy with increasing snowfall bringing 10 to 20 cm of new snow. 40 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 600 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy with another round of snowfall beginning with about 10 cm of new snow, continuing overnight. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy with continuing, easing snowfall bringing 20 to 30 cm of new snow, including overnight amounts (light rain below about 1200 m in late afternoon). 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature reaching 0 °C near end of day as freezing levels climb to 1300 m.

Friday
Mostly cloudy with flurries continuing from overnight bringing about 20 total cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0 °C with freezing level hovering around 1100 to 1300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
• As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
• Don't let storm day fever lure you into consequential terrain.
• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.