West Slopes Central

Avoid traveling below steep, rocky terrain holding chunky-looking snow or where you see large cracks spanning the snow surface. The onset of heavy rainfall Friday night and into the weekend will cause a rise in avalanche danger.

You can currently travel most mountain terrain safely.  If you are heading toward more alpine-like areas, be on the lookout for steep slopes holding dry, recently wind-drifted snow where you might trigger a small slab avalanche.

On the other hand, a cycle of glide avalanches was reported from West North. Only one similar avalanche has been reported from the West Central, but snowpack and weather variables can vary widely across the forecast zone, and observations are limited. Keep an eye out for areas that could produce a glide avalanche by identifying snow bulges in rugged, cliffy terrain, wrinkles in the snow surface, or very obvious, large cracks exposing ground below the snowpack.

These features can be hard to pick out in the terrain above you, especially in narrow gullies or otherwise rugged terrain. It’s impossible to predict if or when these slopes will avalanche. Just stay out of the way, or at least don't take a break below a slope showing any of the above The likelihood of seeing glide or wet loose avalanches will increase if rain comes earlier and harder than forecast on Friday. 

Snowpack observations have pointed towards minimal instability. A crust buried in late November can still be found about 30cm below the snow surface. But weak, faceted snow in the layers above and below the crust have started rounding. The weakest snow is currently at the surface on shady, mid and upper-elevation slopes. It’s most likely these weak, near-surface facets and surface hoar will get destroyed by rain before they have a chance to get buried and become a future weak layer.

As always, stay alert to your surroundings when traveling backcountry terrain. Adjust your plans if conditions are different from what you expected. Information this time of year is limited, as fewer backcountry users and avalanche professionals are out and about this early in the winter. Please share information on the snowpack, avalanches, or weather conditions by SUBMITTING AN OBSERVATION.