Avalanche Forecast

Friday night: Cloudy, 10-20 cm of new snow above 1300 m, moderate southwest wind, treeline temperatures near 0 C.

Saturday: Cloudy, 30-40 cm of new snow above 1300 m, strong southwest wind, freezing level climbing to 1400 m in the afternoon, treeline temperatures reach 0 C.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, 30-40 cm of new snow overnight, moderate southwest wind, freezing level dropping to 1000 m, treeline temperatures reach -2 C. 

Monday: Mostly cloudy, 20-30 cm of new snow, moderate southwest wind, freezing level dropping to 800 m, treeline temperatures reach -5 C. 

Slab avalanches are a concern on slopes with accumulations of new snow, especially in wind-loaded terrain. Wet loose avalanches are expected on steep slopes at lower elevations. No recent avalanches have been reported, but mountain travel and field observations have been very limited.

A powerful storm is bringing intense snowfall, heavy rain, and strong southwest winds to the region. At higher elevations, snowfall accumulations in the 30-40 cm range are expected to build widespread, reactive storm slabs and create dangerous avalanche conditions. Heavy rain is expected to rapidly saturate the surface snow at lower elevations. 

15-25 cm of snow from earlier in the week covers a variety of snow surfaces including crusts, warm snow, and wind-affected snow. There is some uncertainty about how well the new snow has bonded to these interfaces. The snowpack is well-settled. Snowpack depths diminish rapidly with elevation, with 300-400 cm at treeline and no snow below 700 m.

• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
• Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.