Avalanche Forecast

Low - Uncertainty is due to the complexity of the snowpack’s structure. Uncertainty is due to how the snowpack will react to the forecast weather. Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Saturday night: Another 10-20 cm of snow above 1400 m with moderate to strong southwest winds. 

Sunday: Broken cloud cover, moderate winds shifting to the west/northwest, freezing level around 1000 m and dropping, continued flurries with 3-8 cm of additional accumulation possible.

Monday: Clearing skies, freezing level near valley bottom, light northwest winds, no significant precipitation expected.

Tuesday: Clear, calm, cold, dry.

Very little avalanche activity has been reported since Tuesday, but anticipate another avalanche cycle this weekend. As storm snow accumulates, human-triggered avalanche activity is likely. 

If you see anything while out in the field, please consider sharing that information with us and the backcountry community via the Mountain Information Network (MIN). 

Winter ramps up this weekend as the latest storm brings fresh snow, heightened avalanche hazard, and a good test for our snowpack. 

Snow totals of around 30 cm should accumulate by Sunday morning with winds primed for snow transport. The new snow is unlikely to bond well with the previously wind-affected surfaces in the alpine and with the crusts/surface hoar that developed near and below tree line. This rapid load may also trigger deeper weak layers formed in mid-November and late October that are now down 60-100 cm.

This storm brings winter lower into the valleys, as snowline could drop to 1000 m. Current total snowpack depths range from about 70 cm below treeline to as high as 200 cm in the alpine.