Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

A continued unsettled weather pattern exists. Wednesday: Light snow amounts 5-10 cm. Ridgetop winds 30km/hr from the East. Treeline temperatures near -8. Thursday: A Pacific frontal system will start to affect the region bringing light snow amounts during the day, and light-moderate amounts later that night. Ridgetop winds will be strong from the West. Treeline temperatures near -8. Friday: Light-moderate snow amounts. Ridgetop winds moderate from the West. Treeline temperatures near -5. Freezing levels may rise to 1000 m, and then drop to valley bottom at night.

On Sunday reports of large loose power sluffing, entraining significant amounts of recent storm snow on N-NE aspects up to size 2.5. Natural activity has seemed to taper off, but I suspect that conditions may still be ripe for rider triggers; especially wind loaded pockets and sheltered areas where buried SH layers may still linger.

Over the weekend new snow up to 25 cm fell. Generally, this has left us with a 45-60 cm sitting above the mid February layers. Recent clear, sunny skies have created a sun crust on south facing terrain into the alpine.The aforementioned mid February layers consist of a strong melt freeze crust below 1000m, buried wind slabs near treeline and higher into the alpine while between these elevations the interface varies wildly from facets, surface hoar, sun crust or wind press. The surface hoar seems to be spotty but is responsible for much of the recent avalanche activity. Recent testing done on the SH layers produced CTM SP down 70-100m. With the additional wind loading, pockets as deep as 90cm are possible on lee features. Recent outflow winds have exacerbated the wind slab issue, building reactive slabs on south facing terrain features. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled and strong.