Avalanche Forecast

The dry ridge of high pressure will persist throughout the forecast period bringing clear skies at higher elevations and cloud in the valleys. A layer of warm air aloft will develop on Friday and into the weekend with above-freezing temperatures expected above 1700m. Valley temperatures should remain below freezing. Ridgetop winds will remain mainly moderate from the northeast.

On Wednesday, ski cutting and explosives triggered several wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5. The avalanches are sliding on a firm rain crust from mid-November. Slabs were typically 5-15cm thick and were reported on a variety of aspects. These types of wind slabs may persist for a few days until temperatures warm up at higher elevations. With warming forecast for the next few days, I would add loose wet avalanche activity to the mix on steep, sun-exposed slopes .

10-20cm of recent snowfall overlies a highly variable surface which may include surface hoar and/or facetted snow, a thick rain crust which exists to at least treeline elevation, a sun crust on steep south facing slopes, or wind-affected snow in exposed alpine terrain. At treeline elevations, the snowpack appears to typically be 1-1.5m deep. There is a thick crust from early-November in the middle of the snowpack. The limited reports we have received suggest that this crust is well bonded but you should investigate the snowpack in your local area before committing yourself to avalanche terrain. Wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects due to shifting winds and may persist for a few days.