Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Friday

An above freezing layer has pushed into the Interior ranges and will persist through Thursday allowing for a strong alpine temperature inversion. Alpine temperatures will be near -5 and below treeline temperatures will be near -13. Ridgetop winds will be moderate from the north-northwest. Friday will bring change in the weather pattern. Confidence in model agreement is poor with precipitation and wind values, however; it looks like we could receive 5 mm, accompanied by strong west-northwest winds.

Avalanche observations on Tuesday showed explosive triggered persistent slab avalanches failing up to size 3 mostly on N-NE aspects from 2000-2200 m. We continue to get reports of skier-triggered, and remotely triggered slab avalanches up to size 2 Check out the new Mountain Information Network observations for a more detailed report. This layer remains touchy to light loads, like YOU.

Up to 35 cm of light, low density snow overlies recently formed surface hoar. Strong northerly winds have transported the new snow onto southerly aspects creating stiff and reactive wind slabs. Up to 80 cm below the surface, a touchy weak layer of surface hoar sitting on a thick rain crust exists. This widespread weak persistent layer consisting of surface hoar/ facets and a hard rain crust was buried mid-December and continues to produce whumpfing and sudden planar characteristics in snowpack tests. Although high elevation slopes may not have the rain crust, they are still reported to have touchy buried surface hoar. At the base of the snowpack, a crust/facet combo appears to have gone dormant for the time being.