Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Wind speed and direction is uncertain

Mostly cloudy conditions are expected for Tuesday with lingering flurries in the morning. Treeline temperatures are expected to fall to around -20C and alpine winds are forecast to be moderate to strong from the north. Sunny conditions are expected for Wednesday and Thursday with treeline temperatures around -15C during the afternoon and -25C overnight. Alpine winds are forecast to be light from the northeast on Wednesday and moderate from the northwest on Thursday.

No new avalanches were reported on Saturday or Sunday.  On Tuesday, recently formed wind slabs are expected to remain reactive to human triggering. Ongoing wind loading is also expected on Tuesday with the forecast for moderate to strong northerly winds in the alpine. With the winds switching directions, wind slabs should be expected on a variety of aspects. Persistent slab avalanches also remain an ongoing concern.  Buried weak layers are creating a low probably, high consequence problem for the region. 

10-20 cm of new snow on Monday with moderate winds will recharge our wind slab problem, feeding existing slabs with additional load and forming new slabs in the lee of exposed terrain features. Winds have been switching directions recently and wind slabs should be expected on all aspects. The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding and stabilizing. Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until a significant warm up helps to settle the snowpack.