Avalanche Forecast

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

Thursday is expected to be cloudy and dry, with light southerly winds and the freezing level rising to around 2500 m in the afternoon. On Friday, light snow begins in the afternoon and continues through Saturday (5-15 cm total). The freezing level is expected to fall towards 1600 m with this snow. Winds are light to moderate from the S-SW.

A few small wind slabs were triggered by skiers on Tuesday. Loose wet avalanches were also reported on steep solar aspects. Cornices are large and fragile, and may fail under the weight of a person.

Cornices are large and weak. Recently formed storm slabs and wind slabs are generally settling, but may still be reactive to human triggers in specific terrain, and may be triggered by cornice fall. Slopes that receive direct sun are likely to have a sun crust in the mornings and become moist and weak by day. Several crusts can be found in the upper metre of the snowpack. A layer of surface hoar buried in early January is down 1-2 m. In most places it is thought to be capped by a thick strong crust. It is becoming increasingly hard to make this layer fail in snowpack tests and triggering an avalanche on it is unlikely.