Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

The first of three distinct waves of well organized warm precipitation accompanied by strong SW winds should impact the coast before dawn Thursday. The rain/snow line should start the day around 1000m, steadily rising to 2200m by Thursday afternoon as precipitation intensity increases throughout the day. The second wave should arrive in the wee hours of Friday morning, with the freezing level hovering around 2300m. The final wave is expected to make landfall Saturday afternoon. Storm totals in mm of water are expected to be in the 80 - 140 range.

On Tuesday skiers intentionally initiated a few small slabs on small steep features. Activity on both Sunday and Monday was limited to ski-cutting and explosives induced thin soft slabs which were running on the firm crust layer. These were limited to size 1 and were isolated to wind affected terrain. Sluffing from steep terrain features was also reported.

10 to 30cm of new snow overlies a hard rain crust that exists up to at least 2100m. In exposed terrain, the new accumulations have been shifted by strong SW winds into wind slabs which may be especially reactive due to the underlying crust. Deeper snowpack weaknesses have become unreactive on account of the strong capping crust layer.