Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Monday

SUNDAY: snow starting in the afternoon with up to 10cm expected overnight, moderate westerly winds, freezing level of 1000m. MONDAY: cloudy with sunny breaks, moderate westerly winds, freezing level 1200m. TUESDAY: mainly sunny, light easterly southerly winds, freeing level 1200m.

The only avalanche activity reported on Friday was skier triggered sluffing in steep terrain.  Earlier in the week there were numerous explosive triggered storm slab avalanches up to size 2, although I suspect these slabs are becoming less reactive with time.  At lower elevations (1500m and below), widespread loose wet avalanches were stepping down to size 2 wet slabs. In the far north, deeply buried persistent weak layers may still be reactive to large triggers such as a small avalanche stepping down or a cornice failure. On Thursday a skier triggered a size 2.5, deep persistent avalanche that released on basal facets on a SE aspect around 1700 m.

40-90cm of settling storm snow sits above a melt freeze crust buried on February 12th which extends up to around 2000m elevation. The upper snowpack is reported to be bonding well to this crust. Moist snow may be found at lower elevations.  Recent wind has redistributed the surface snow at higher elevations forming wind slabs in lee features. The early January surface hoar/facet layer is down around 1m+ and remains a concern for commercial operations. This layer seems the most reactive in the north of the region but may still be a concern in the south as well. Shallow snowpack areas in the east and north of the region may have a weak base layer of facetted snow on or just above the ground.