Avalanche Forecast

Fair

SUNDAY: Freezing level starting at 1000m, rising to 1600m. Light W/SW winds treeline, Moderate W winds at ridge-crest. Broken cloud cover. No significant precipitation expected.MONDAY: Freezing level rising to 1800m. Light S/SW winds at treeline. Strong SW winds at ridge-crest. Overcast. No significant precipitation expected during the day, 5 to 15cm of snow possible Monday night.TUESDAY: Freezing level around 1500m. Moderate NW winds at all elevations. Scattered cloud cover. Isolated flurries, less than 5cm total snowfall expected.

No new activity to report from Friday. In two separate incidents Thursday cornice fall triggered deep persistent slabs when it impacted slopes below. Both incidents were on north facing alpine features. Loose wet avalanches to size 2 were also observed from south through west facing terrain.

The region picked up around 5 to 20cm of snow Friday night accompanied by strong SW winds burying the old surface which consists of facets, surface hoar and crust. Prior to Friday nights storm the 10 to 45cm that fell the weekend of April 4th remained dry on high elevation polar aspects but had turned moist on east and west facing aspects. South facing features were moving into the spring corn cycle. Down 15 to 65cm you will find the supportive late-March crust that is thought to exist up to around 2100m. Moist snow underneath the late-March crust is ubiquitous in most of the region.Two significant persistent weak layers composed of crust and facets exist in the snowpack. Although they appear to have gone dormant for the time being, we will continue to monitor them closely. Mid-March is down 50 to 100cm below the surface and Mid-February is down 90 to 150cm. Observations indicate that there is significant faceting occurring between the two crusts. While an avalanche failing at either of these interfaces is unlikely, it may be possible on steep unsupported alpine features.