Avalanche Forecast
Regions: South Rockies.
Practice good travel habits and watch for wind slabs in steep alpine terrain.
Confidence
High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern; little change is expected for several days.
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear skies, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures drop to -18 C.
SATURDAY: Sunny, moderate west wind, treeline temperature around -12 C.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries in the afternoon, light west wind, treeline temperatures around -12 C.
MONDAY: Isolated flurries with a trace amount of snow, light wind, treeline temperatures around -10 C.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Alpine and upper treeline terrain is heavily wind affected, while a hard crust is found below 1800 m. A solid mid-pack sits above some decomposing crust and facet layers near the bottom of the snowpack (100-150 cm deep). Avalanche activity on these layers has been sporadic, mostly triggered by large loads such as wind slab avalanches and cornice falls. These layers should be unreactive under the current conditions, but steep rocky slopes should still be carefully assessed and approached with caution.
Terrain and Travel
- Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
- Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Although unlikely to trigger, hard wind slabs in the alpine have the potential to propagate widely.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5