Avalanche Forecast

Poor - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain

Thursday night and Friday: Another frontal system is moving inland from the coast. Light precipitation is expected to start overnight and go until the afternoon Friday for a total of 10 to 20 mm. in the wettest zones. Winds are expected to be strong from the SW-W in the alpine and temperatures remaining cool (-7 C) and freezing level staying at the surface. Saturday: Trace to light precipitation amounts, lighter W winds and similar temperatures. Sunday: Similar unsettled conditions providing trace to light precipitation, cool temperatures with light SW winds.

Storm snow was already sluffing far and fast yesterday. We expect more of that happened today and also the storm slabs probably producing some avalanches too.

More snow will add on to the10 to 30 cm that fell yesterday with moderate winds from the W-SW (more snow fell in the S part of the region). New windslabs in the alpine and at treeline under lee ridgetops will grow thicker and their bond to the old surfaces will be weak for a certain time. Soft slabs and loose snow is expected to slide very easily on the January 23th surface hoar layer that is located in shaded-sheltered areas below treeline and also on the buried suncrust found on South facing slopes. This significant new load might also awake the early January surface hoar weak layer that will be sitting down 80 cm in sheltered areas below treeline. Under these concerning layers, a strong mid-pack overlies a weak facet/crust layer near the base of the snowpack, which is now considered inactive.