Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing or intensity of solar radiation and its effect on the snowpack.

MONDAY NIGHT: Clear with a few clouds, moderate north wind, alpine temperatures drop to -12 C.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny, light wind from the north, alpine high temperatures around -8 C.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny, light wind, alpine high temperatures around -5 C.

THURSDAY: Sunny, light southwest wind, alpine high temperatures around -5 C.

Preliminary reports from Monday suggest there was limited new avalanche activity. On Sunday a few small (size 1) wind slab avalanches, dry loose avalanches, and cornice falls were reported.

A few large sporadic avalanches have been reported over the past two weeks. Most recently a size 2.5 deep persistent slab avalanche was observed in steep rocky alpine terrain on a southwest slope near Golden on Thursday (see MIN report) and a large snowmobile triggered avalanche was reported on a convex roll at treeline at Quartz Creek on Wednesday (see MIN report). These isolated large avalanches highlight the importance of careful snowpack and terrain evaluation in the Purcells.

10-20 cm of fresh snow and a total of 30-50 cm of snow from the past two weeks sits on the surface. This snow has shown some reactivity at higher elevations where it has been redistributed it into wind slabs. Sun crusts can be found near the surface on steep south-facing slopes and a hard rain crust can be felt beneath the snow at below treeline elevations. The middle of the snowpack is generally settled but the base of the snowpack contains basal facets. It remains possible to trigger these deep weak layers in shallow rocky start zones or from a heavy trigger such as a cornice fall. 

• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
• Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
• Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.