Avalanche Forecast

High - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.

THURSDAY Night: Cloudy with clear periods, light northeast wind, treeline temperatures around -6 C, freezing level 1000 m.

FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures around -4 C, freezing level 1400 m.

SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy with sunny breaks, moderate southwest wind, treeline temperature around -3 C, freezing level 1400 m.

SUNDAY: Snow, moderate to strong southwest wind, treeline temperatures around -6 C, freezing level 1100 m.

A few cornices were triggered naturally and from explosives on Tuesday and Wednesday. They were very large, as is expected at this time of year.

Looking forward, wind slabs and cornices may remain triggerable at higher elevations and use caution on sun-exposed slopes if clear skies prevail.

Around 5 to 10 cm of snow accumulated Tuesday night, with strong wind from the southwest switching to northeast. New wind slabs likely formed during this time, which may linger in steep, alpine terrain features. This snow adds to the 30+ cm that accumulated on the weekend. All of the new snow sits above a widespread crust, with the exception of high north-facing terrain. Observations suggest the snow has bonded well to these old interfaces. There are currently no concerning weak layers in the snowpack, although a spotty early season facet layer deep in the snowpack could return as a problem later in the season.

Remember that cornices along ridgelines are large at this time of year and always have the possibility of failing naturally or from the weight of a human.

• Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
• Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.