Avalanche Forecast

Moderate -

Sunday night: some light flurries with light to moderate southwest winds. Low of -5 at White Pass.

Monday: Cloudy, light snowfall. Winds increasing to strong from the southwest. High of -3 at 1100m. 

Tuesday: light snow throughout the day with moderate to strong southwest winds. High of -3 at 1100m. 

Wednesday: light snow throughout the day with light to moderate southwest winds. High of -5 at 1100m.

When the sun came out on Friday, several natural loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed in thin snowpack areas inland from White Pass. These avalanches entrained most of the snowpack, pulling pockets of slab in the track. 

A significant storm brought around 40 cm of new snow to the White Pass area late last week. The accompanying strong to extreme southerly winds left a heavily wind-affected surface at all elevations comprised of deep deposits of hard wind slabs, sastrugi, and areas stripped back to the ground or old crusts. 

Below the new snow, a variety of old surfaces exists including a thin rime crust at treeline and hard old wind slabs at higher elevations. In the past week, warm temperatures have promoted settlement and bonding in a hard, consolidated mid-snowpack. The lower snowpack is weak and facetted above the ground surface.

• Keep your guard up at lower elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive.
• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
• Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.