Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

Avalanches of all trigger types have been reported over the past week. Natural avalanche occurrences have tapered off but small human-triggered avalanches continue daily.

On Tuesday a couple of notable avalanches were reported: One resulted in a person being fully buried for a lengthy time (check this MIN for details) and another was a near-miss for a snowmobiler. (Photo below)

Wind-affected snow and wind slabs formed by recent shifting wind can be found on various aspects at upper elevations. Steep sunny slopes may be moist or have a thin surface crust, shady slopes are growing surface hoar. 35 to 80 cm of storm snow from last weekend has remained dry and powdery in many areas with cold temperatures. This snow is sitting on a weak layer that developed in late January: In most areas, it is a hard slippery crust, however, on shady, upper-elevation slopes, it may rest on faceted grains or surface hoar. The mid and lower snowpack is well-settled and bonded with no other layers of concern.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy. 15 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 15 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 5 to 15 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -16 °C.

Monday

Sunny. 40 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to a buried crust.
• Avoid lee and cross-loaded slopes at alpine and treeline elevations.
• Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.