Avalanche Forecast

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MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with intermittent snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, moderate southwest wind.TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation trace to 10 cm with the most in the south of the region, moderate to strong southwest wind, alpine temperature -15 C.WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall and afternoon clearing, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -14 C.THURSDAY: Increasing clouds over the day, light east wind, alpine temperature -10 C.

A few large wind slab avalanches were observed in the region on Sunday, generally in alpine terrain and up to 60 cm deep. Otherwise, cornices were reactive to explosive control.The January persistent weak layers described in the Snowpack Summary continue to be reactive to human triggers. The most recent activity was on Friday, as skiers triggered large avalanches on east and southeast slopes between 1900 and 2300 m. Check out the MIN reports here, here and here for examples of these weaknesses.

Recent strong winds from all directions have affected the snow surface at all elevation bands. Expect to find wind slabs in terrain depressions, such as adjacent to ridges, and otherwise wind affected snow on all aspects.Beneath this lies two weak layers of surface hoar that were buried at the end of January and mid-January. These layers are around 30 to 60 cm deep. The mid-January layer may be associated with a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects. These layers are most prominent at treeline and below treeline elevations.The base of the snowpack is composed of weak and sugary faceted grains that overly a melt-freeze crust. This weak layer has produced large and destructive avalanches that are sporadic in nature and very difficult to predict. It is most likely to be triggered from areas where the snowpack is shallow and weak. Rocky alpine bowls, ridge crests, and rocky outcroppings are some examples of terrain features to be wary of. See the Forecaster Blog here for more info on this problem.