Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

We'll see lingering flurries on Sunday as it cools down significantly. Clearing Monday onwards.SUNDAY: Broken skies with isolated flurries / moderate to strong west wind / Alpine temperature -8 / Freezing level 800mMONDAY: Increasing cloud in the afternoon and some scattered flurries / Light east wind / Alpine temperature -6 / Freezing level 1200mTUESDAY: Isolated flurries / Light to moderate southwest wind / Freezing level 1500m

On Saturday morning a Size 2 storm slab (crown height 15-20cm) was remote-triggered on a bootpack path in the backcountry near Golden. The past few days warm and wet weather have seen a natural avalanche cycle to size 3.5 from a variety of aspects and elevations. In the wake of the storm on Saturday expect the likelihood of triggering an avalanche to remain elevated.

Heavy wet snow (15-20 cm in 12 hours) and moderate southerly winds started late Friday and continued through Saturday. Temperatures also warmed up significantly with rain up to 2200m. The end result: Widespread storm slabs and wind slabs at treeline and above with significant cornice growth as well.This storm snow (totals of 30-70cm) sits on older windslabs (or soft slabs) at treeline and above. Below 1800m, the new snow sits on a melt-freeze crust from last week's warm storm, and reports so far are that the new snow is bonding well to the old crust. The persistent weakness buried late-February is now down 90-140cm, and is composed of weak facetted crystals on a thick rain crust as high as about 2000m and facets on sun crust on steep southerly aspects. This layer has produced easy-moderate results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects.Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February and mid-January (primarily in the northern Purcells). The november crust and basal facets are still reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.