Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the speed, direction, or duration of the wind and its effect on the snowpack. Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.

Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm. Moderate west wind. Alpine high temperatures around -8.

Tuesday: Scattered flurries, accumulation 5 cm. moderate to strong west wind. Alpine high temperatures around -5.

Wednesday: Mix of sun and cloud. Light southwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -8.

Thursday: Flurries. Light to moderate southwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -7.

Reports of new avalanche activity on Sunday were of skier or rider triggered wind slabs to size 1 and 1.5 in the alpine and at tree line.

There was a report of a remotely triggered (from a distance) size 2.5 deep persistent slab avalanche on Saturday. It was 130 cm deep and triggered in a shallow area at 2300 m on an east aspect.

20-60 cm of snow from the last week overlies previously wind-affected snow at higher elevations, with diminished depths of about 20-30 cm above a widespread melt-freeze or rain crust up to about 1700 metres. This new snow has been redistributed by winds blowing from a variety of directions.

The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, however an aging weak layer of surface hoar from late December, currently buried 70 to 150 cm deep, has shown surprisingly long-lived instability on slopes between 1700-2400 m (above the crust elevation and below the most wind-affected elevations), warranting increased caution around steeper slopes in this elevation band, particularly in the southern half of the region.

• Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
• 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.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.