Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to how buried persistent weak layers will react with the forecast incoming weather.

Unsettled conditions are expected for Friday before the next storm system arrives Friday night bringing snowfall through most of Saturday. 

Thursday night: Cloudy with lingering flurries, light SW wind, freezing level around 1000 m. 

Friday: Mainly cloudy with a chance of both flurries and sunny breaks, light to moderate SW wind, freezing level reaching around 1400 m. 

Friday night and Saturday: Snowfall 20-30 cm, moderate to strong S-SW wind, freezing level around 1200 m. 

Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud, light W wind, freezing level around 1000 m. 

On Wednesday, a natural size 1.5 storm slab was observed on a north aspect at around 2000 m elevation. A ski cut triggered a size 1.5 avalanche on a north aspect at 2400 m. A variety of small loose dry avalanches were also observed as well as one natural cornice fall which triggered a storm slab on the slope below. Explosives triggered a few storm slabs up to size 2 and one size 2 cornice release. This MIN report shows a small skier-triggered slab avalanche.

On Tuesday, skiers triggered a size 2 storm slab on a northeast aspect at around 2100 m which was typically 20-30 cm thick but up to 80 cm where it was wind loaded. This avalanche propagated over 150 m wide. Explosives and ski cutting produced a variety of size 1-2 storm slabs. This MIN report and this MIN report both describe human-triggered avalanches on Tuesday. 

Persistent slab activity has dwindled since last week. The most recent activity was on March 8 when two avalanches were triggered by riders on northeast aspects at treeline and alpine elevations. While this layer has not produced any avalanches recently, it still remains a concern for professionals in the region. At this point, the most likely triggers would be a cornice fall or a storm slab avalanche stepping down. 

Prior to Thursday's snowfall, 25-40 cm of older storm snow which began accumulating last weekend overlies a variable surface which includes surface hoar in shady, wind-sheltered areas and a hard melt-freeze crust on all aspects below 1500 m and on sun-exposed slopes into the alpine. Recent wind has redistributed this storm snow into reactive slabs in wind loaded terrain and has formed new cornices. 

Around 50-80 cm deep, a weak layer of facets may be found above a melt-freeze crust that formed in February. This layer had been most reactive on north and northeast aspects between 1600 and 2100 m. While this layer is now likely dormant in most areas, it still remains a concern for professionals in the region and could still be capable of producing isolated large avalanches if triggered. Check out this forecaster blog for more info.

• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.
• Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
• Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.