Avalanche Forecast

Moderate -

SATURDAY NIGHT - Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries / southwest switching to northeast winds, 10-20 km/h / alpine low temperature near -15SUNDAY - Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, 5 cm / northeast winds 10-15 km/h / alpine high temperature near -20MONDAY - A mix of sun and cloud / northeast winds 10-15 km/h / alpine high temperature near -17TUESDAY - Mainly sunny / northeast winds, 10-15 km/h / alpine high temperature near -13

Avalanche activity continued on Saturday. Natural avalanches to size 3, explosives triggered avalanches to size 2.5, and human triggered avalanches to size 2 were reported. Several of the human triggered avalanches were triggered remotely and they failed on the mid January persistent weak layer.A widespread natural avalanche cycle to size 3.5, and explosives triggered avalanches to size 3.5 were reported on Friday, as were numerous human triggered avalanches to size 2. Many of these were remote triggered (triggered from a distance). Some of these avalanches failed within the new storm snow, but many of them reportedly failed on a persistent weak layer that was buried in mid January.Human triggered avalanches failing on the mid January persistent weak layer have been reported almost daily for the past two weeks in the North Columbia region.On Tuesday, in the neighboring Glacier National Park region, a human triggered size 3 avalanche occurred on a steep southeast facing slope in the alpine. There is a detailed report on the Mountain Information Network here

The North Columbia region wins the storm with 30-90 cm of snow since Thursday. Average total amounts since Thursday are in the 50-70 cm range. This new snow sits on surface hoar (feathery crystals), facets (sugary snow), wind slabs and a crust on sun-exposed slopes.A persistent weak layer that was buried in mid January is now buried 50-100 cm. This layer consists primarily of surface hoar, however there is also a crust associated with it on sun-exposed slopes. This layer has been most reactive at treeline and below, and was very reactive during the height of the recent storm. It is uncertain how reactive this layer will be with temperatures dropping, but it may still be reactive to human triggers.