Avalanche Forecast

Good

A storm tracking along the international border will largely miss the Caribou region. The forecast calls for 2 - 4 cm Saturday and just a trace on Sunday. Freezing levels will remain at the surface through the forecast period and temps in the Alpine will average -9 C.

Skiers and riders have triggered thin soft windslabs in the alpine up to size 1.0 . Natural ice fall and a natural cornice fall to size 2.5 were reported from the region. The cornice fall released a slab, but there was not much propagation.

The new snow layer above the February 09 surface hoar is now about 10-15 cm thick. Some areas have reported that the surface hoar had grown to 50 mm before being buried. Some thin windslabs have developed due to down flowing air on large glaciated features. A melt-freeze crust has developed on solar aspects at all elevations, and on all aspects below about 1400 metres. The mid-pack is generally well settled. There is some concern that large loads like cornices may trigger the Jan. 20th facet layer. Some shallow snowpack areas may continue to have a weak layer of basal facets near the ground.