Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Wednesday

Tuesday Night: Cloudy with new snow 3-10 cm. Ridgetop winds light from the southwest and alpine temperatures near -7. Freezing levels near 800 m.Wednesday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Ridgetop winds moderate from the northwest and alpine temperatures near -6. Freezing levels 1200 m. Thursday: Cloudy with some sunny periods and isolated flurries. Ridgetop winds moderate from the northwest and freezing levels near 800 m. Friday: Mainly cloudy. Ridgetop winds moderate from the southwest and alpine temperatures near -3. Freezing levels rise to 1200 m.

Natural and human triggered slab avalanches up to size 2 were reported on Monday from 1600 m up to 2500 m on a wide range of aspects. This will likely be the story for the forecast period where the slab remains reactive to light loads like skier traffic, especially where the new snow sits above buried surface hoar from 1500-1800m. At higher elevations pockets of wind slab are also reactive to skier traffic. Check out this MIN report for a great overview of conditions including photos.

Another 10-15 cm of new snow brings a total of 20-35 cm above a layer of large feathery surface hoar crystals and sun crust. The recent snow has been settling into a thin but reactive slab above this weak layer, with enhanced reactivity noted at elevations between 1500-1800 metres where the surface hoar is particularly well developed on all aspects. Strong winds associated with the new snow formed reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes and scoured southerly aspects down to the crust at upper elevations. The middle and lower portions of the snowpack are generally well-settled and strong.