Avalanche Forecast

No recent avalanches have been reported, but field observations are limited this time of year. We expect natural and human triggered avalanches to have occurred within the new snow, primarily in wind loaded features.

If you head into the backcountry please submit a MIN report! They are super helpful in the early season when snowpack information is limited.

30-60 cm of recent snow is settling rapidly in the mild temperatures. The recent snow arrived with strong southerly winds, resulting in variable distribution over a crust on south aspects and at lower elevations.

Over 90 cm of snow can be found in the alpine, with wind-loaded areas up to 150 cm deep. Although still riddled with early season hazards, lower elevations may now be approaching threshold for avalanches.

Our field team describes conditions in the Mt Cain area in this MIN report from Thursday.

Saturday night

Snowfall tapering, around 5 cm. Winds easing to light southwest. Alpine low temperature of -2. Freezing level 1000 m.

Sunday

Clearing skies. Calm. Alpine temperature high of -1. Freezing level around 900 m.

Monday

Mostly clear skies with light northwest winds. Alpine temperatures of -2. Freezing levels 500-800 m.

Tuesday

Mostly clear skies with light northeast winds. Alpine temperatures of -3. Freezing levels 400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
• Start with simple terrain and gather information before thinking about more committing features.
• Stay off recently wind loaded slopes until they have had a chance to stabilize.