Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Were looking at a return to mainly benign weather through the forecast period. Skies will be overcast and there may be periods of isolated flurries although accumulations are not expected to be significant. Winds will be mainly light to moderate from the south on Tuesday and Wednesday becoming light from the southwest by Thursday. There is poor agreement in the models about how high the freezing level with get with the high resolution regional models calling for them to rise as high as 1400m.

Avalanche activity has been limited to small loose snow avalanches running in the upper snowpack.

Up to 15cm of new snow fell through the day on Monday covering a widespread layer of surface hoar.  This weak layer overlies a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects, old wind slabs in exposed higher elevation terrain and loose facets in sheltered areas .  About 50 cm below the surface, the mid-December interface can be found which consists of surface hoar and/or a sun crust.  The early December rain crust can be found about 20 cm below that, up to an elevation of 1400m. Both of these layers are thought to be gaining strength and are no longer reacting to snowpack tests except in isolated locations. The snowpack below these layers is generally strong and well-settled.