Avalanche Forecast

Wednesday night: Cloudy with possible flurries. Southwest winds 35-45 km/hr. Alpine temperature low -9C. Freezing level gradually rising to 1000 m by Thursday morning.

Thursday: Flurries, up to 10 cm through the day. Southwest winds, 40-70 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -2C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Friday: Wet flurries and snow, 10-25 cm accumulation. Southwest winds, 20 gusting to 50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -1C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with isolated wet flurries. Southwest winds 20-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high 1C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m and rising.

On Wednesday morning, several small (size 1) wind slabs failed in steep alpine features. Note that we have limited field observations this early in the season.

Wind has modified 10-20 cm of recent snow into a variety of pressed surfaces. This covers a supportive mid-November rain crust.

The snowpack is drying out from the mid-November rain event, but moist snow is still found below the crust and to the ground.

Snowpack depths range from 40-70 cm at treeline elevations. Expect to find a deeper snowpack at higher elevations and in wind-loaded areas. Snowpack depths decrease rapidly below 1600 m.

Early season hazards are very real right now at all elevations, be wary of thin/shallow snowpacks, rocks, stumps, creeks, and other sharks hidden under a dusting of fresh snow.

• Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.