Avalanche Forecast

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear / Light, west ridgetop wind / alpine low temperature -13 / Freezing level valley bottom.

FRIDAY: Sunny / Light, west ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature -1 / Freezing level 1600 m.

SATURDAY: Sunny / Light, southwest ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature 2 / Freezing level rapidly rising to 2500 m. and staying elevated overnight.

SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light, southwest ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature 3 / Freezing level 2500 m.

No avalanches were reported in this region on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a small cornice failure triggering a size 2.5 windslab on a east aspect in the alpine was reported. Additionally, several naturally triggered small wet loose avalanches were reported on steep, rocky, sun exposed slopes.

Dry soft snow can be found on shaded aspects above around 1500 m. On south-facing slopes and at lower elevations expect crusty snow in the morning and soft, moist snow in the afternoon. Winds have slackened off as of late, but recent wind slabs and cornices still pose a hazard close to steep ridgelines.

The lower snowpack has strengthened over the past week as previous persistent weak layers have become unreactive. The main layers that we had been tracking were a layer of facets that was buried in mid-February (60-100 cm deep) and a layer of surface hoar and/or a crust that was buried in late January (80-120 cm deep).

• Avoid exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead.
• A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.