Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

Temperatures return to normal, with the freezing level near surface until Thursday, when it may start to rise towards 1800 m. Cloudy skies and generally light snow are expected Tues-Thursday, totalling perhaps 10-15 cm. Ridgetop winds become strong from the south-west on Wednesday.

No new avalanches have been reported. This may speak to the lack of observations rather than actual conditions. Given the combination of solar radiation and warm temperatures at higher elevations, there may have been a round of loose wet avalanche activity on steep, sun-exposed slopes.

At treeline elevations, the snowpack appears to typically be 1-1.5m deep. Current snow surfaces likely include a mix of stubborn wind slabs in exposed higher elevation terrain, loose faceted snow and surface hoar in sheltered areas, and (depending on the time of day) moist snow or a re-frozen crust on steep solar aspects. In some parts of the region a thick hard crust is reported to exist between 15 and 25cm below the surface. For the time being, this hard crust is likely adding significant strength to the snowpack. That said, the combination of facets and surface hoar overlying a hard crust could become a reactive weak layer when it gets buried by new snow. There is also 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. In general, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding snowpack structure throughout the region. If you have any observations to share, please submit them to our Mountain Information Network.