Avalanche Forecast

High

THURSDAY: Clearing, drying and cooling throughout the day with freezing levels dropping to 1500m and light southwesterly winds. FRIDAY: A mix of sun and cloud with light snow starting in the afternoon. Freezing levels generally near valley bottoms, but warm air may still be lingering in some valleys, and warming associated with the onset of precipitation could push freezing levels as high as 2000m. Ridgetop winds are expected to be moderate from the southweast. SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy with continued light snowfall totalling 5-10cm of accumulation. Freezing levels should drop to 1500m by the afternoon and winds are expected to remain moderate from the southwest.

Reports from Tuesday include numerous natural wind slab avalanche up to Size 2.5 from steep cross-loaded south aspects running to valley floor. One  natural persistent slab avalanche was also observed, with a report of a Size 3 that run on the early January surface hoar down 120cm. A continued cycle of natural loose wet sluffs and wet slabs reaching Size 2.5 on primarily southern aspects, as well as cornice collapses, were also reported.

Wet surface snow has refrozen into a supportive crust in most places; however, dry soft snow with new surface hoar growth may be found at treeline elevations on shaded aspects. Wind slabs and storm snow weaknesses in the upper 50cm or so, remain sensitive. Avalanche professionals are still monitoring three buried surface hoar layers in the upper 120 cm, with recent reports of easy to moderate sudden results down 120cm where surface hoar was sitting on a sun-crust.