Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing, track, & intensity of the incoming weather system. Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.

Continued snow through the Christmas holidays. Possible heavier snowfall amounts in the Southern part of the region on Thursday with the passing cold front.  

Wednesday Night: 5- 10 cm of new snow accompanied by strong ridgetop wind from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near -7 and freezing levels 900 m.

Thursday: New snow throughout the day, with 10-15 cm accumulation. Strong ridgetop wind from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near -5 and freezing levels 1200 m. 

Friday: Broken skies with flurries 5 cm with moderate to strong southwest wind. Alpine temperatures near -10 and freezing levels valley bottom.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with flurries 5 cm. Gusty ridgetop winds from the South and temperatures dropping to -12 with freezing levels valley bottom. 

On Wednesday, a few natural and human-triggered wind slab avalanches up to size 1 were reported. 

New snow and cranking wind will likely form reactive slab avalanches on Thursday. Loose-dry sluffing may be seen from steep terrain features.

New snow and wind will likely build reactive storm slabs. Older wind slabs at upper elevations below ridgecrest may continue to be touchy with the additional load. Low-density storm snow exists in sheltered terrain. 

Below the new snow exists a well-consolidated upper snowpack which overlies a substantial crust that formed in early December. This crust is approximately 60-120 cm below the surface, 10-30 cm thick on average, and is present across all aspects to at least 2300 m. A layer of weak facets (sugary snow) has been reported above this crust. Snowpack tests are generally showing hard results on this interface.

A late October facet/crust layer of concern sits at the bottom of the snowpack above 1900m. Although this layer has been trending less reactive, it remains on our radar.

The snowpack depth at treeline is around 120-250 cm. The deepest snowpack can be found in the southern half of the region. 

• Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
• Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a persistent slab.