Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Tuesday: 15-20 cm new snow with freezing levels around 1200 m. Winds strong southerly in the morning, diminishing to light westerly in the afternoon.Wednesday: 5-10 cm or so new snow with freezing levels around 1200 m. Winds moderate to strong southwesterly.Thursday: 10-20 cm new snow. Freezing levels around 1200 m. Strong southerly winds.

Natural avalanches were reported up to size 2.5 on Sunday. Activity diminished on Monday following a drying and cooling trend, but is likely to pick up again, especially in steep, wind affected terrain for Tuesday.

Recent rain soaked the upper snowpack at all elevations before depositing roughly 5-10 cm of heavily wind affected new snow at higher elevations. In areas where extreme south winds have not scoured it away, approximately 20-30 cm of recent snow overlies the November 23 crust. This 5-10 cm thick crust can be found on all aspects above 1400 m, is present at the surface in windward areas, and overlies a generally rain-saturated snowpack. In high alpine and glaciated terrain a layer of weak sugary crystals that was buried on November 9th exists above a crust near the base of the snowpack. This interface is now buried 150-240 cm deep.