Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - The weather pattern is stable

As the upper ridge sets up, we move into a period of cooling, drying and fairly light northerly winds. SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud/ alpine temperatures near -9/ generally light winds from the northeast/ freezing level 1100 mMONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud/ alpine temperatures near -12/ ridgetop winds light from the West/ freezing levels valley bottomTUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud/ alpine temperatures -12/ ridgetop winds light from the northeast/ freezing levels valley bottom.

No new avalanches have been reported in the region. I suspect you might be able to pop isolated pockets of wind slab from leeward terrain features. Loose dry sluffing may also be seen from extreme terrain. We have very limited observations which allows for much uncertainty in the snowpack. If you have been out, please submit any observations to the Mountain Information Network MIN.

Recent new snow up to 20 cm and southwest winds have formed pockets of wind slab on leeward terrain, however the winds have switched to a northeasterly direction. Below the surface exists a series of crusts and a feathery surface hoar layer. We have a lot of uncertainty around this weak layer and its distribution. If you were to find it, I suspect it could exist on sheltered slopes in the alpine and at treeline. A mixed layer melt-freeze crusts and sugary facets buried late October can be found at the base of the snowpack at treeline and in the alpine. This layer has not been active, but there is potential for slab avalanches on this layer given the current snowpack structure. I suspect its likely found in terrain features like smooth alpine bowls with variable snowpack depths. Average snowpack depths at treeline are near 50 cm and taper quickly as elevation decreases. Snow depths below tree line are generally below the threshold depth to produce avalanche.