Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Scattered flurries with localized accumulations of 3-8 cm, light wind from the southwest, alpine temperatures drop to -10°c. MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, light wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -7°c. TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy, light wind, alpine high temperatures around -10°c. WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, light wind, alpine high temperatures around -12°c.

No recent avalanches have been reported, but evidence of a natural avalanche cycle was reported on Friday. Numerous large (size 2) storm slabs and wind slabs were reported, primarily on north and east aspects. Larger persistent slab avalanches (size 3) were also reported on all aspects, a few even destroying mature trees. The persistent slabs were 50-150 cm thick and likely failed on the early December weak layer. Over the past week numerous large natural and human triggered avalanches (size 2-3) have been reported, several of which were triggered remotely (from a distance). A notable human triggered size 2.5 avalanche occurred on a northeast facing slope in Allan Creek last weekend. See details in this MIN report.

Strong wind from the southwest has formed wind slabs in the alpine and around treeline. Stormy weather over the past two weeks has deposited 80-120 cm of snow above a weak layer of facets (sugary snow), surface hoar (feathery crystals), and a sun crust (on south aspects) that formed during the dry spell in early December. This layer has been responsible for large persistent slab avalanches, particularly on north and east facing slopes above 1900 m. The potential exists for smaller avalanches to step down and trigger this deeper layer, resulting in very large avalanches. Another weak layer from mid-November is now buried up to 150 cm, but has been less active recently. At the base of the snowpack is a crust that formed in late October. The probability of triggering these deeper layers is low, but the most suspect areas would be steep rocky alpine features with a shallow snowpack.