Avalanche Forecast

On Sunday, explosives triggered size 1-2 storm slabs and a size 1.5 natural storm slab avalanche was reported.

10-30 cm snow accumulated by Sunday morning at upper elevations, and strong southwest winds quickly impacted any loose snow in open and exposed terrain.

Recent snow covered a crust at upper elevations and to moist snow lower down. Where the snowpack is growing, a weak drought layer is down 20-50 cm. This layer consists of hard, wind-affected snow in the alpine, surface hoar or facetted snow in sheltered areas, and a crust on solar aspects and on all aspects below 2200 m. Below this layer, several other facet-crust interfaces exist in the snowpack.

Terrain features poke through a building snowpack that ranges from 80-150 cm in the alpine and 50-70 cm at treeline. Below treeline is below the threshold for avalanches.

Sunday night

Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace accumulation and clearing overnight. Light to moderate north wind, treeline low temperatures -20 C, and freezing level valley bottom.

Monday

Sunny and cold. Light to moderate northeast wind, treeline high temperatures -9 C.

Cold with a mix of sun and cloud and isolated flurries. Light northeast wind, treeline temperature -12 C.

Incoming precipitation and wind, 20-30 mm, strong southwest wind, treeline temperatures rising to -4 C, freezing level rising above valley bottom.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
• Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.