Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

One very large natural avalanche was observed on Wednesday (size 3.5) on a northerly aspect at 1800 m. This likely failed on the buried weak layer from December. A reminder that this layer is still capable of producing large avalanches from time to time.

Wednesday's storm also caused a numbers natural avalanches at treeline and below treeline (size 1 and 2).

20 to 40 cm of snow fell on Wednesday, with southwest winds depositing more in lee areas. This new snow may bond poorly to underlying layers, which could include:

• Large surface hoar crystals in sheltered spots at treeline and below

• Crusts on solar slopes

• Old wind-affected snow

A layer of surface hoar from early January is buried 20 to 60 cm deep, though it's uncertain whether this layer will persist.

100 to 200 cm deep in the snowpack are layers of crust, facets, and possibly surface hoar that were buried in December. This deeper layer has recently caused very large avalanches (size 3.5)

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy with up to 3 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Friday

Mix of sun and cloud with 3 to 8 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with 3 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Sunday

Sunny. 50 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -18 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Carefully manage your exposure to overhead hazards.
• Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
• Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.