Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

Mainly clear skies are expected for the forecast period. Expect temperature inversions with ridgetop temperatures of about -14.0. Winds should be mostly light and southeasterly with strong northeasterly outflows.

Several size 2 avalanches were reported from the far north of the region. They failed at the ground on shallow, south-facing terrain. No other recent avalanches have been reported

Light amounts of recent snow have been redistributed by strong winds into mainly stiff windslabs. This overlies older storm snow which has most likely settled and gained significant strength. In the mid snowpack you might find a buried surface hoar layer, reported to be 5 to 10mm in size. Last week it produced sudden snowpack test results down 60-80cm in the Shames backcountry, and may exist in other areas as well. In the far north there have been reports of faceted crystals in the top metre of the snowpack producing moderate to hard test results.At the base of the snowpack a faceted crust remains on the radar of avalanche professionals, particularly in the north of the region. It seems this problem is mostly confined to alpine areas and likely needs a large trigger and/or a shallow snowpack feature. Cornices are also large. Continued strong winds and cooling temperatures could make them especially heavy and brittle.