Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Thursday night: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light to moderate north winds.Friday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light to moderate northeast or southeast winds, increasing to strong northeast overnight. Alpine high temperatures around -16.Saturday: Sunny. Moderate northeast winds easing over the day. Alpine high temperatures around -14.Sunday: Sunny. Strong northeast winds easing over the day. Alpine high temperatures around -18.

No new avalanches have been reported in the region.Our most recent observations are from Monday. They showed small (size 1) wind slabs releasing naturally from steep, wind loaded pockets in the Howson range.Numerous avalanches were triggered by skiers and naturally within the recent storm snow on the weekend. Check out this MIN report describing widespread slab activity.

Recent cold temperatures have been transforming surface snow into a lower-density layer of faceted (sugary) grains at all elevations. This faceting process affects the uppermost part of the wind-affected 20 to 40 cm of storm snow we received last weekend. Time and cold temperatures are gradually reducing the cohesion and reactivity of wind slabs that formed in the wake of the storm, however forecast strong winds are expected to transport remaining loose surface snow into thin new slabs in leeward terrain on Friday.This upper layer of faceting storm snow overlies previously wind-affected snow in the high alpine and a widespread melt-freeze crust elsewhere. In the central and northern parts of the region, it may sit on feathery surface hoar crystals in sheltered terrain at all elevations. In the south of the region, the remainder of the snowpack has been reported as well-settled.Around and north of Hazelton, 50 to 100 cm of snow may overlie two weak layers of surface hoar or sugary faceted grains.