Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

A Thursday report identified a size 2.5 avalanche on a northeast slope, triggered by a cornice failure.

An ongoing concern for step-down and large natural and human-triggered deep persistent slab avalanches is at the forefront of our minds. Check out this video on incremental loading to learn more.

Please continue to send in your observations through the MIN.

Wind at upper elevations continues to impact flurries and older snow, 5 cm recent flurries covers a crust up to 1600 m. Snowpack depths are shallower than normal, and several buried weak layers have been a concern over the past few weeks. Surface hoar or crust layers in the mid-snowpack may exist in this region, but field observations suggest these mid-snowpack weaknesses are less prominent here than in areas further south.

The most concerning layer in this area is at the base of the snowpack. Large, weak facets buried in November are widespread. This layer is most likely problematic in steep, rocky alpine terrain, where shallower wind slab avalanches can scrub down to these basal facets.

Saturday night

Clear and with gusty ridgetop winds. Ridge wind northwest reaching 50 km/hr. Alpine temperature -26 C.

Sunday

Sunny in the morning with increasing clouds throughout the day. Ridge wind northwest 20-40 km/hr. Alpine temperature -20 C.

Increasing cloud. Ridge wind west 30-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature -18 C.

Flurries, 5 cm. Ridge wind northwest 30-40 km/hr. Alpine temperatures rising to -14 C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
• Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
• Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.