Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing or intensity of solar radiation and its effect on the snowpack.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with flurries and 1-3 cm of new snow, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures around -4 C, freezing level 1100 m.

THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries bringing 1 to 3 cm of new snow, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures around -3 C, freezing level 1500 m.

FRIDAY: Clear skies with afternoon cloud, light west wind, treeline temperatures around -1 C, freezing level 1900 m.

SATURDAY: Clear skies, light southwest wind, treeline temperature 0 C, freezing level 2000 m.

Many small to large wind slabs were triggered naturally, by explosives, and by riders on Tuesday. They generally occurred at treeline and alpine elevations and were 10 to 30 cm deep, within the recent storm snow.

Looking forward, storm slab activity is expected to rapidly decline but wind slabs could still be triggered at higher elevations. Keep your eye out for the sun, as sun-exposed slopes could rapidly deteriorate if the sun pokes through the clouds.

Around 5 to 10 cm of snow accumulated on Tuesday, which overlies a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects, perhaps small surface hoar crystals on shaded aspects, and otherwise 20 cm of snow from the weekend. This recent snow has generally been stabilizing, but there could be some wind slabs that linger at higher elevations. All of this recent snow sits above a widespread crust, with the exception of high north-facing terrain. A persistent weak layer from late January is buried 80 to 150 cm deep, but is unlikely to trigger as the last reported avalanche on this layer was in late February.

• Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
• Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
• Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.