Avalanche Forecast

High -

FRIDAY NIGHT: Around 5 cm of low density snow expected. Mostly light winds.SATURDAY: 2-4 cm new snow. Treeline temperatures around -8C. Light northeasterly winds.SUNDAY: Flurries. Treeline temperatures around -10C. Light northeasterly winds.MONDAY: Dry, with some clear spells. Treeline temperatures around -12C. Moderate northwesterly winds.

On Wednesday and Thursday a few size 1-1.5 wind slab avalanches were triggered naturally and by skiers mostly in the alpine on a variety of aspects. Persistent slab avalanches have tapered off, with three events noted on northeast aspects between 1200 and 1900 m from Monday and Tuesday this week but none reported on Wednesday or Thursday. However, I'd remain leery of the mid- and late-January weak layers especially at treeline elevations.

10-15 cm of recent low density snow sitting on the surface has been blown around by strong northeasterly winds, creating reverse-loading on some slopes. There are two prominent, touchy weak layers in the snowpack that have been responsible for a several dangerous avalanches in the past 2 weeks. The upper layer was buried at the end of January and lies approximately 40 cm below the surface. The lower one was buried mid-January and lies approximately 75 cm below the surface. Both comprise a mix of surface hoar and facets and may lie on top of a sun crust on southerly aspects. Both layers are potentially reactive and in any given location, one or both could potentially exist in the snowpack. Wide propagation has been noted, meaning avalanches have the potential to be large (up to size 3). These weak layers are most prevalent at treeline and below, but may also be found in sheltered areas in the alpine.Average snow depths are approximately 300 cm. Very sporadically, failures have occurred near the base of the snowpack in or close to this region. These releases have almost all been from high alpine areas, possibly triggered close to rocky features.