Avalanche Forecast

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

Monday night: Unsettled with flurries, trace to 10 cm. Moderate southwest wind. Ridgetop low -8 C.

Tuesday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 10 cm. Moderate westerly wind. Ridgetop high -6 C.

Wednesday: Flurries starting in the afternoon, trace to 5 cm. Moderate and increasing southeasterly wind. Ridgetop high -5 C.

Thursday: Scattered flurries, 5-10 cm. Strong south wind. Ridgetop high 0 C, freezing levels extending up to 1600 m.

Explosives triggered numerous size 1-2.5 wind slabs on Sunday afternoon. These were triggered on a variety of aspects and elevations. Several small (size 1-1.5) wind slab avalanches were reported by the end of the day and included reports of ongoing wind transport.

On Thursday, a couple of small (size 1) wind slabs were reactive to skiers, about 15 cm deep on a north aspect.

Up to 15 cm low density snow overlies covers a crust on all aspects and elevations except high north terrain where cold snow prevailed through end of March warm temperatures. Alpine and open terrain is more wind affected with a variety of wind-affected surfaces and pocket wind slabs. A couple of layers of weak crystals in the upper snowpack appear to be bonding well according to recent observations and snowpack tests. 

• Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
• Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
• Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.