Avalanche Forecast

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Expect mostly sunny conditions on Saturday with freezing levels at valley bottoms and light winds from the southeast. Sky conditions becoming cloudy by Sunday with moderate southwest winds and 2-5 cm of new snow. Monday is forecast to be overcast with moderate northwest winds and a chance of broken skies in the afternoon. The next strong frontal system is expected on Tuesday.

There are no recent avalanche observations from this region. Due to the lack of regular observations, we cannot yet issue avalanche problems or danger ratings for the region. If you are out in the mountains, please send us your observations and help us improve the forecast.

Early season snowpack observations are still limited in the region but there is likely enough snow for avalanches at treeline and above. The average snowpack depth at treeline is reported to be around 60cm and 120cm or more in the alpine. Surface snow tends to be variable with low density powder in sheltered areas, wind affected snow in exposed areas, and moist or wet snow at lower elevations. Recent strong southwest winds have likely formed wind slabs in leeward features at higher elevations. A series of crusts from early November were recently reported to be buried down 20-30cm. Due to a lack of observations, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the distribution and stability of this layer. It is best to dig down and test the snowpack before committing to big slopes.