Avalanche Forecast

High

The past few days saw small (size 1) storm slab and loose avalanches in alpine terrain. Loose wet avalanches are also expected on sun-exposed slopes during the heat of the day.

Please consider submitting your observations to the MIN if you head to the backcountry.

20 to 30 cm of recent snow accumulated over the past few days, with rain below 1000 to 1500 m. This new snow sits on surface hoar crystals that overly soft or wind affect snow on northerly alpine terrain or a hard melt-freeze crust elsewhere. Thicker deposits may be found in lee terrain features near ridgetop. Sun-exposed slopes are likely crusty in the morning and moistening with daytime heating.

Weak faceted grains above a hard crust that formed in early February is buried around 100 to 150 cm deep. The layer is strengthening and is currently dormant.

The remainder of the snowpack is settled.

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy. 30 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Sunday

Clear skies. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Partly cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

Clear skies. 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 5 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.
• Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
• The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.