Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Wind effect is extremely variable

Thursday: Clear skies / Moderate westerly winds / -13 in the alpineFriday: Clear skies / Moderate westerly winds / -16 in the alpineSaturday: Clear skies / Moderate southwest winds / -11 in the alpine

On Monday, two natural size 2 storm slabs were reported on southern aspects at 1850-2000m elevation. Explosives and ski cutting triggered several more storm slabs and wind slabs size 1-2.5. This activity was limited to the new storm snow sliding on the old snow surface. Slabs were typically around 15 cm thick and up to 30 cm thick in wind loaded areas. On Thursday, recently formed wind slabs may still be reactive to human triggering. With the winds recently switching directions, wind slabs should be expected on a variety of aspects.

10-20 cm of new snow has buried a highly variable old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed terrain, widespread near surface faceting, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate to strong winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow into wind slabs in wind exposed terrain. In the upper snowpack below the new storm snow, a couple old freezing rain crusts from late-December may exist depending on your location. The mid-December surface hoar layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable.