Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

TUESDAY: Mix of sun, cloud and isolated flurries / Light to moderate west wind / Alpine temperature -8 WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light southwest wind / Alpine temperature –8 THURSDAY: Mainly cloudy / Light to moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -6  

Reports of avalanche activity on Friday through Sunday includes natural loose dry along with storm and wind slab avalanches to size 2 on north, south and west aspects from tree line into the alpine. On Friday there were two skier triggered size 2.5 persistent slab avalanche between 1800 and 1900m on south and southeast aspects. These ran on a crust buried mid-February 70cm deep and were in the northern part of the Monashee range.

Storm snow from the past week has been redistributed into wind slabs in wind-exposed terrain on most aspects. Below this is a layer buried mid-February that presents as a sun crust on solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on sheltered slopes. This layer looks most concerning on on solar aspects where it's associated with with small facets or surface hoar sitting above. There are several deeper layers in the mid-pack that have shown signs of improving but remain on the radar as having a low probability of triggering yet would produce a high consequence avalanche if they are triggered. We're talking about surface hoar layer buried back in December and January. Near the base of the snowpack is a November crust combined with loose sugary snow. These layers may "wake-up" with strong inputs such as sustained warming, sustained snowfall, large triggers (e.g. cornice fall, smaller avalanches coming down from above); human triggering is also possible in shallow snowpack areas with variable snow depth and convoluted terrain.