Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. Alpine temperature -7 C. Southwest wind, 30-50 km/hr.

Thursday: Flurries and snow, 5-15 cm. Alpine temperature -5 C. Southwest wind, 30 gusting to 70 km/hr. Freezing level 800 m.

Friday: Sun, cloud, and isolated flurries, 5-15 cm. Alpine temperature -6 C. Southwest wind, 30-50 km/hr. Freezing level 700 m.

Saturday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, 5-10 cm. Alpine temperature -4 C. Southwest wind 15-20 km/hr gusting to 70 km/hr. Freezing level 1100 m.

There have been no recent reports of avalanche activity.

Flurries and snow will add to the 10-20 cm low density snow around the region. In exposed areas, moderate south-southwesterly winds have redistributed snow and developed wind slabs around ridge features and into the alpine.

Reports suggest there are 2 buried layers of surface hoar in the upper snowpack - one down 15-25 cm below the new snow, and another down 25-40. Where wind has scoured the snowpack, a crust from November is at or near the surface. In leeward terrain, this crust is 40-80 cm deep, and may include surface hoar in sheltered openings up to treeline.

Older crusts can be found deeper in the snowpack and are generally breaking down. In areas with a relatively thin snowpack, the base of the snowpack likely consists of weak faceted grains.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
• Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.