Avalanche Forecast

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy with isolated flurries; 0-5 cm / Light west winds / Low of -7 / Freezing level surface.

Wednesday: Increasing cloudiness with flurries in the afternoon; 3-10 cm, and another 15-20 cm overnight / Strong southwest wind / High of -2 / Freezing level 700 m.

Thursday: Snow(above around 800 m), 15-20 cm / Moderate southwest wind / High of 1 / Freezing level 1100 m.

Friday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light west wind / High of 0 / Freezing level 1000 m.

Intense wind loading triggered some very large (up to size 3.5) wind slabs in the Bear Pass area that were reported on Monday morning.

A size 1 storm slab 40 cm deep was skier triggered on a steep roll at treeline on Monday. Warming was reported as the contributing factor that made the slab more sensitive to triggering.

10 cm of new snow adds to the 25-50 cm of recent snow which overlies a hard melt-freeze crust.

Recent moderate to strong winds from varied directions have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects that may remain reactive to human triggers.

Around 100 cm down, a layer of weak snow (facets or surface hoar) has been occasionally reported in sheltered areas. The distribution of this layer has been reported as isolated and likely not a problem in many areas.

Cornices are very large and exposure to them should be minimized, especially during warm or windy weather.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
• Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
• Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.