Avalanche Forecast

Good

A weak low pressure system moving out of the northwest is forecast to bring cloud and a few cm of new snow on Friday. The high pressure ridge should re-develop and bring clear skies and light winds for Saturday. Freezing levels are expected to be at valley bottoms overnight and rise up to about 800 metres during the day. Sunday should be mostly clear in the morning with cloud developing in the afternoon.

Some moist loose snow avalanche up to size 2.0 were reported in the south of this region on Wednesday du to daytime heating from strong solar on steep south aspects.

Generally light amounts of loose cold snow cover the previous variable snow surface of crusts, surface hoar, or wind affected snow depending on aspect and elevation. Thin wind slabs may still be sensitive to triggering in isolated high elevation lee terrain, and cornices remain large and weak. The 'Valentine's Day' crust, found just below the surface, is thick and supportive below 2100 m. The late-Jan crust/surface hoar layer can be found about a metre below the surface in deeper snowpack areas. The mid-January surface hoar, can be found below that. These layers have gained significant strength, and chances of triggering these weaknesses have decreased dramatically. However, triggering may be possible with a large input such as cornice fall, or an avalanche stepping down, especially on sun drenched slopes.