Avalanche Forecast

No new avalanche were observed, but weather conditions made for limited observations.

A big change is occurring. Up to 10cm of warm, moist snow has fallen at Treeline through the day on Saturday. This snowfall started off very warm, so hopefully it will stick to the recently formed raincrust underneath. However, with the deep penetration of the previous rainfall and warm temps, buried layers of moist snow will persist for some time. Travel may be difficult until the temperatures cool down and freeze the rain saturated layers. Another 10cm of slightly cooler snow is possible in the next 24 hours, with moderate NE winds. This will likely lead to fresh wind slab development on NW, W and SW slopes, especially at higher elevations. In alpine areas, this incoming snow may not bond well to the previous surfaces, but at lower elevations it likely will. Backcountry users should be very curious over the next few days, dig frequently, and carefully evaluate the effects of this big weather change at various elevations and on various aspects.

It finally snowed again! Up to 10cm at Treeline fell through the day on Saturday, with the Snowfall Warning continuing into Sunday. An additional 10cm is possible. Initially the winds will be moderate from the NE, and then it sill switch to light SW late Sunday afternoon. Temperatures should range from -12 to -9C. The snowfall should end around midnight Sunday, with mainly cloudy conditions by Monday morning.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
• Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
• In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.
• Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.