Avalanche Forecast

Sunday night: Flurries bringing up to 5 cm. Moderate northwest wind. Freezing level dropping to valley bottom. Alpine temperature -15.

Monday: Mix of sun and cloud. Light to moderate northwest wind. Freezing level valley bottom. Alpine temperature -15.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Light to moderate westerly wind. Freezing level 1300 m. Alpine temperature -7.

Wednesday: Sunny. Light to moderate southwest wind. Freezing level 1800 m. Alpine temperature -1.

We are still awaiting reports of avalanche activity from the weekend's storm. A widespread natural cycle is likely to have occurred Sunday. 

On Saturday, evidence of an old size 2 cornice failure was observed at Allen Creek. Otherwise, we have no reports of avalanche activity since Wednesday's storm when there were a few reports of natural and human triggered storm slab avalanches.

The weekend's storm dropped another 20-50 cm of new snow over the region. This snow has likely been redistributed by strong wind, switching from southwest to northwest Sunday night. Crusty surfaces exist below treeline.

The new snow buries old stubborn slabs at upper elevations and a crust below treeline. Recent warm weather patterns are expected to have helped old persistent weak layers heal. The new snow load (and whether it triggers deeper slabs during the storm) may help shed some light on concerns over a facet layer 150 cm deep from the mid-February cold snap that resulted in few large cornice triggered avalanches in the first half of March.

• Be careful to keep storm day fever from luring you out into bigger terrain features.
• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
• Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.