Avalanche Forecast

Tuesday night: Cloudy with scattered flurries bringing less than 5 cm of new snow. Light to moderate west winds. Freezing level remaining near 1000 metres.

Wednesday: Diminishing cloud, possibly remaining overcast. Moderate to strong northwest winds. Treeline high temperatures around +3 with freezing levels rising to 3300 metres.

Thursday: Sunny with valley cloud below 1200 metres. Moderate to strong northwest winds. Treeline high temperatures around +1 with freezing levels over 3000 metres.

Friday: Sunny. Light northeast winds. Treeline high temperatures around +5 with freezing levels to 2700 metres.

No new avalanches were reported in the region over the past few days. A MIN report from Saturday gives a sense of the wind slab problem we've been managing over the past week, although at that time it was quite a bit more reactive.

Looking forward to Wednesday, dramatic warming will take hold in the region and bring concern for wet loose avalanches back to centre stage.

By Wednesday morning, few cm of new snow from Tuesday night should bury thin surface crusts that can be found on all aspects at treeline and below as well as on solar aspects in the alpine. 

Beneath the surface, up to 20 cm of moist snow from Friday exists at treeline and below. Above this elevation it fell as dry snow. This overlies a melt freeze crust that likely extends to the top of treeline. 

Below this crust 20 to 60 cm of dry snow sits above another thick and supportive crust that extends to mountain top. At upper treeline and alpine, facets and surface hoar may be found above this crust.

The middle and base of the snowpack are well settled and strong.

• Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
• The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
• When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.