Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Dogtooth, East Purcell, Esplanade, Purcells, St. Mary.
Isolated small avalanches are still possible at low danger.
Remain cautious in extreme and high-consequence terrain.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, a small naturally triggered wind slab occurred near Panorama and a skier triggered a large (size 2) loose dry avalanche in the Esplanades.
Looking forward, we expect human triggering of wind slabs to be unlikely and loose dry avalanches possible.
Snowpack Summary
1 to 5 cm of recent snow may be covering a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, or a hard sun crust on sun-affected slopes. Up to 8 cm of additional snow may fall by the end of the day Sunday. Exposed terrain in the alpine and treeline is generally wind-affected. In sheltered terrain, 10 to 40 cm of faceted snow overlies a weak layer from late January. This layer consists of a crust on sun-exposed slopes and surface hoar on all other aspects. A weak layer of facets from early December is buried 60 to 120 cm. The base of the snowpack consists of a thick crust with facets or depth hoar in many areas.
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Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 15 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 5 to 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 10 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
- Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
- Periods of low danger may be a good time to increase your exposure.