Avalanche Forecast

Numerous natural and rider triggered storm slab avalanches up to size 2.5 were reported on a variety of aspects at treeline and above on Saturday. The depth of the slabs was on average 20-30 cm.

The forecast snow and wind Sunday night is expected to increase avalanche activity on Monday.

15 to 25 cm of new snow overlies a weak layer of small surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or a thin sun crust on solar aspects.

The widespread crust buried in early February is down 35 to 55 cm. The snow has been reported as bonding well to the crust in most areas, but this may change as the snow load increases.

Various weak layers persist in the mid to lower snowpack, however, triggering these layers is unlikely where they are capped by a thick crust.

Sunday Night

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Monday

Cloudy with 3 to 5cm of snow. 15 to 25 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Wednesday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
• Use small low consequence slopes to test the bond of the new snow.
• The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.
• Even a small avalanche can be harmful if it pushes you into an obstacle or a terrain trap.