Avalanche Forecast

High -

TUESDAY NIGHT - Cloudy with scattered flurries / southwest winds 10-20 km/h / alpine low temperature near -13WEDNESDAY - A mix of sun and cloud / north winds 10-20 km/h / alpine high temperature near -12THURSDAY - A mix of sun and cloud / west winds 10-20 km/h / alpine high temperature near -13FRIDAY - Mainly cloudy with flurries, 2-4 cm / south winds, 15-35 km/h / alpine high temperature near -12

No new avalanches were reported on Sunday or Monday.On Saturday, a persistent slab avalanche was triggered by a skier on a north aspect on a 30 degree slope. Check out the MIN report here. These sorts of avalanches continue to be triggered by skiers and riders in the region. There was also evidence of large avalanches (up to size 3) that were triggered by strong wind in the north of the region. on Saturday.On Friday, two more small to large (size 1 to 2) persistent slab avalanches were triggered by humans. They were 50 to 70 cm deep and released on the mid-January surface hoar layer described in the Snowpack Summary. They occurred at treeline and alpine elevations on north to northwest aspects.

Recent strong winds from variable directions, but most recently from the north, have blown around 5 to 10 cm of snow into wind slabs mainly in alpine and treeline terrain.A touchy weak layer responsible for surprise avalanches and several close calls lies approximately 30 cm below the surface in shallow snowpack areas and 60 cm or more in deeper areas. This weak layer of surface hoar (feathery crystals) and facets (sugary snow) was buried in mid-January. On southerly aspects, the weak layer exists as a crust. This layer is most prevalent at treeline and below treeline elevations, but there have been a few reports of its presence in sheltered areas in the alpine. This layer is shallow enough to be triggered by humans, but deep enough to produce large avalanches.The lower snowpack is considered generally strong.