Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

No new avalanches were reported on Friday but observations were limited.

On Thursday, several natural wind slab avalanches (size 1.5) were reported. They were primarily seen on north through northeast aspects from 1200 to 1500 m. A natural cornice fall also triggered a size 3 wind slab.

By Thursday, the region saw up to 30 cm of new snow accompanied by strong southerly wind. The new snow is building deep drifts of wind-deposited snow on lee and cross-loaded slopes, forming fresh wind slabs. These sit over firm, wind-affected surfaces in exposed areas, faceted snow in sheltered terrain, and a crust on steep solar aspects. A poor bond to these interfaces may exist.

A weak layer of facets and a crust from early December is buried 60 to 150 cm deep. This layer exists on all aspects up to 1750 m. This layer has not been active in producing avalanches or test results in several weeks and is generally not a concern at this time.

At the highway elevation, the snow depth is 120 cm, and in the alpine exceeds 200 cm.

Saturday Night

Cloudy with a chance of isolated flurries. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with a chance of sunny breaks. 15 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 25 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
• Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
• Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.