Avalanche Forecast

High -

Saturday night: Clear. Light west winds.

Sunday: Increasing cloud with flurries beginning overnight. Light to moderate southwest winds increasing over the day. Alpine temperatures falling from about -1 over the day.

Monday: Cloudy with flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow, 10 cm with overnight accumulations. Light to moderate southwest winds easing over the day. Alpine high temperatures around -5.

Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light variable winds. Alpine high temperatures around -4.

No new avalanches have been reported the past few days, although warm temperatures have likely resulted in natural wet loose avalanches in steep south-facing terrain.

We have a preliminary report of a snowshoer who was recently fatally involved in an avalanche in the Mt. Brunswick area. The individual was recovered on March 20, three days after being reported missing and six days after beginning their trip. The avalanche was a 45-100 cm-deep wind slab release on steep terrain and it buried a trail 50-60 m below it. Given snowpack changes since the likely date of this incident, similar avalanches are not expected to occur going forward.

Alternating warm daytime and cool overnight temperatures have created widespread surface melt-freeze crusts that vary in thickness according to elevation and aspect. A few high elevation, shaded slopes may still hold dry, previously wind-affected snow.

Moving forward, a similar melt-freeze regime is expected for Sunday before an incoming storm over Sunday night delivers new snow to bury the current surface.

The snowpack is well-settled. Snowpack depths diminish rapidly with elevation, with 300-400 cm at treeline and no snow below 700 m.

• Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
• Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.