Avalanche Forecast

High -

A frontal wave will bring unsettled conditions including cloudy skies and light snow amounts.

Wednesday Night: Cloudy with alpine temperatures near -3. Ridgetop wind strong from the southwest and freezing levels 800 m. 

Thursday: Cloudy with flurries. Ridgetop wind light from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near -4 and freezing levels 1200 m. 

Friday: Cloudy with flurries. Ridgetop wind light from the southwest. Alpine temperatures -7 and freezing levels 1000 m.

Saturday: Snow amounts 10-20 cm with moderate ridgetop wind from the southwest. Freezing level 1200 m.

No new avalanche reports by Wednesday afternoon.  

On Tuesday, reports indicated that small loose wet avalanches occurred from steep rocky terrain. Cornices also became weak and failed with daytime warming. No slabs were reported from the slopes below. 

Wind slabs may be reactive to human triggering on wind-loaded slopes at upper elevations. Cornices are fragile and pose a threat from above and below. 

Up to 40 cm of snow fell throughout the region since the weekend. This was accompanied by strong southwest winds that switched to the northwest. Reactive wind slabs could be lingering on a variety of aspects at upper elevations, especially where they sit above a crust. 

The recent snow sits above a variety of old snow surfaces comprising mostly of a widespread melt-freeze crust with the exception of high north-facing terrain where it may be sitting on small surface hoar crystals. A melt-freeze crust exists at treeline and an isothermal trend exists below 1100 m.

Cornices along ridgelines are large, and the likelihood of them failing will increase when the sun comes out.

• Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
• Be aware of highly variable recent wind loading patterns.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.