Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

Sun: Numerous naturally triggered size 1-2 wet loose avalanches occurred across the region.

Sat: A natural size 3 persistent slab was seen on Evening Ridge (photo below). Several wet loose and wet slabs also occurred in the region.

Fri: Explosives control produced a size 3 persistent slab on a northwest-facing feature at 2100 m

Looking forward: With cooler temperatures forecast, persistent layers should be less likley to trigger and wet avalanches will be unlikely.

A melt-freeze crust or moist snow cap the snowpack on all but high elevation northerly slopes, where you may still find dry but wind-affected snow. Two concerning weak layers are present in the mid snowpack: facets/surface hoar or a thin crust from mid-February buried 40-60 cm, and faceted snow/surface hoar/crust from late January buried 60-90 cm. These layers were active during the warmup, but should become less triggerable as the snowpack cools and surface crusts strengthen. They remain most concerning at upper elevations where a strong surface crust is absent.

Monday Night

Mostly clear. 15 to 30 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m, then falling to valley bottom. Treeline temperature low of -6 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. 15 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1500 m. Treeline temperature around -3 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of new snow overnight. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1500 m. Treeline temperatures around -5 °C.

Thursday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h north ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1800 m. Treeline temperature around 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
• Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
• Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.