Avalanche Forecast

Friday night: Flurries, 5-10 cm. Alpine low temperature -6 C. Moderate to strong southwest wind.

Saturday: Flurries and snow, 10-20 cm. Alpine high temperature -3 C. Light to moderate south-southeast wind.

Sunday: Flurries and snow, 10-25 cm. Alpine high temperature -4 C. Moderate south-southeast wind.

Monday: Cloudy with scattered flurries, up to 10 cm. Alpine high temperature -6 C. Light to moderate east wind.

A large (size 2.5) natural glide slab release was observed on Tuesday. The debris from the release overran the John Little Falls hiking trail. Natural glide slab activity has been a regular occurrence during recent periods of daytime warming, reinforcing the importance of avoiding glide cracks and areas exposed glide slab hazards.

There are very limited field observations at this time and no recent avalanches have been reported.

Around 15-30 cm new snow is expected by the end of Saturday, falling with a steady wind. This will cover a mix of recent wind slabs and wind-affected snow as well as melt freeze crust on south aspects and slopes below about 1100 m.

A layer of surface hoar crystals is buried around 30-60 cm in sheltered areas at and below treeline, shallow enough for human triggering on steep slopes where it is preserved. Recent observations of this layer are lacking.

An early-season layer of faceted grains and a melt-freeze crust can likely be found near the base of the snowpack at high elevations. A large load, such as a large cornice fall, may have potential to trigger it.

• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.