Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Saturday

FRIDAY: Mainly cloudy with light snow bringing as much as 5cm throughout the day and another 5cm overnight. Freezing levels reaching 1700m and light southerly winds. SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy with continued light snowfall bringing another 1-3cm of accumulation. Freezing levels should drop to 1600m and winds are expected to be light from the southwest. SUNDAY: Mainly cloudy with continued light snowfall bringing another 1-3cm of accumulation. Freezing levels should drop to 1600m and winds are expected to be light from the southwest.

Reports from Wednesday include limited results with explosives control producing only one Size 2.5 persistent slab avalanche releasing on the early-January surface hoar down 100cm in a lower elevation start zone where previous surface hoar growth was prevalent.

A supportive surface crust is likely in most places aside from shaded aspects at treeline elevations, and lower elevations that are under melt-freeze conditions. New surface hoar could be covered by a skiff of fresh snow. This recently buried surface hoar is likely larger on sheltered shady slopes, but could be more sensitive where it is sitting on a crust. Recent snowpack tests have been producing easy to hard results in the top 25-35cm on storm snow weaknesses as well as buried surface hoar and crusts with associated facets. Avalanche professionals are still monitoring the persistent weakness buried early January, which is now down 80-120 cm. In most places it is no longer sensitive to light triggers. However, in specific locations it still produces hard, but sudden results in snowpack tests.