Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

The stormy pattern is expected to continue on Wednesday before a drying trend later in the forecast period. Wednesday: After heavy precip and high freezing levels overnight, expect another 5-10cm during the day with freezing levels down to 1800m and strong southwesterly ridgetop wind. Thursday: 2-5cm of snow, freezing level in valley bottoms and light to moderate southwesterly ridgetop wind. Friday: Mainly cloudy with light flurries possible, freezing level near valley bottom and moderate southerly ridgetop wind.

On Saturday natural storm slab avalanches to size 2 were reported on East, North, and Northwest facing features between 1900 and 2100m. These were likely running on the early December surface hoar. On Sunday control work in the region produced numerous avalanches to size 2 on SW, S and SE facing aspects between 1900 and 2000m. Late Sunday we received a report from the Rossland range where a group of skiers triggered a size 2.5 avalanche on a north facing piece of terrain at 1700m. The avalanche initially failed at the Mid-November crust before stepping down to the ground. Thankfully, it sounds like everyone involved will be okay.

Continued snowfall brings total treeline snowpack depths to 150-200cm. 50-100cm of storm snow since early December is bonding poorly to a variety of old surfaces including facets, surface hoar, and/or a crust at upper elevations (especially on southerly aspects). The most critical of these is the buried surface hoar, which has the potential for remote triggering, extensive releases and prolonged sensitivity to triggers. It is likely lurking in most sheltered areas treeline and below. The thick mid-November crust is just under this weakness.