Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

SATURDAY NIGHT- Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, up to 5 cm / Moderate southwest wind / Alpine high temperature near -8 

SUNDAY - Mainly cloudy and chance of flurries / Moderate west wind / Alpine high temperature near -4

MONDAY - Sunny breaks and scattered cloud / Light northwest wind / Alpine high temperature near -6

TUESDAY - Cloudy with isolated flurries / Strong southwest wind / Alpine high temperature near -9

On Thursday, explosives triggered numerous avalanches up to size 2.5, including one size 2.5 persistent slab avalanche.

Overnight Tuesday and during the day Wednesday, a a widespread natural avalanche cycle up to size 3 was reported. There were also reports of numerous explosives triggered avalanches up to size 2.5, one of which was a persistent slab avalanche.

Over the past week, there have been several natural and persistent slab avalanches between size 2.5-3 reported in the region. These avalanches are continued reminders of the "low probability; high consequence" scenario that persistent slab problems often create. 

Strong winds have polished and pressed snow into hard slabs and sastrugi, and stripped windward slopes. Treeline wind slabs are bonding to previous surfaces. The storm earlier in the week brought rain to lower elevations, a melt-freeze crust covers surfaces up to 1850 m.

Roughly 80-120 cm of snow is now sitting on a crust that extends up to 1900 m. In isolated areas below treeline, this recent snow may be sitting on a weak layer of surface hoar.

The main feature we are monitoring in the snowpack is a layer of weak faceted snow over a hard melt-freeze crust found around 90-200 cm down. Recent sporadic, large, naturally triggered avalanches have occurred on this layer on large alpine slopes and were triggered by either smaller wind slab avalanches, or cornice falls.

• Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.
• Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect and exposure to wind.
• If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.