Avalanche Forecast

A temperature inversion will continue through the forecast region, with alpine temperatures above freezing through Monday into Tuesday. Skies will remain relatively clear and winds in the light to moderate range. Expect unusually strong solar outputs for this time of the year on South and West aspects Monday and Tuesday afternoon.

Warm alpine temperatures and clear skies moistening the upper snowpack on steep S-W aspects. There is 30-50 cm over the Dec.15 persistent weak layer of facets and surface hoar. This Dec 15th layer is becoming reactive to skiers at treeline and above and producing easy to moderate snowpack test results. Below this is a heavily faceted snowpack.

The Dec 15 interface continues to show signs of reactivity, reports throughout the forecast region note significant whumphs and cracking from skier traffic at treeline and above. Avalanche activity from this problem was observed along the sunshine road releasing a size 2 slab.