Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Outflow winds are forecast to calm down on Sunday afternoon, but the cold and clear weather is expected to continue into mid-week.
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number and quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
Some cloud and light precipitation are expected along the coast on Sunday as a low pressure system moves from the Alaska pan-handle down the coast. Yesterday it looked like that system might move inland and bring moderate precipitation to the coast mountains, but now it looks like the high pressure over the interior will deflect the low down the coast. Inland areas are forecast to be clear and cold for the next few days.
Avalanche Summary
There are no new observations from the region. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Email us at [email protected].
Snowpack Summary
As we begin our forecasting season, we are working with limited information from the field. This forecast is primarily based off weather station data and a few field observations from the past week or two. Approximately 20-30 cm of cold dry snow has fallen in the past couple days, mainly in the southern part of the region. Moderate or strong easterly winds may have blown this snow into stiff wind slabs in exposed lee terrain. Be alert to signs of wind loading like patterns on the snow surface, variable new snow depths, and dense or hollow sounding snow. A potential weak layer interface (crust and faceted snow) may be buried 30-50 cm deep. Check the bond of the snowpack at this level and take a cautious approach.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.