Avalanche Forecast

No new avalanches have been observed or reported in since Monday Dec 19th. Continue to support your backcountry community and please consider submitting a MIN report, Your information sharing is vital.

Upper elevations surfaces have been exposed to sustained strong to extreme north wind. These surfaces are generally very hard and in many places the snow has been stripped to the ground. In sheltered areas at treeline, surfaces have been faceting and becoming unconsolidated at the surface. In the upper snowpack at this elevation a layer of surface hoar crystals can be found down 20 to 30 cm and has not been an active layer of concern.

Generally, the snowpack is shallow and highly variable in terms of depth, with the mid and lower snowpack presenting as settled and dense.

A cold arctic air mass over the region will continue to bring to the forecast area. gusty outflow winds and extremely cold temperatures. Beginning Friday, a series of weather systems are expected to deliver up to 25 cm of new snow. A rise in temperature and freezing level is excepted with ridgetop temperatures rising to -10˚C.

Thursday night

Increasing cloud. Light flurries beginning in the late evening 1-2 cm . Building southeast wind reaching 20 km/h. Temperatures will gradually rise over the weekend to around -10˚C.

Friday

Overcast sky, Snow 5-10cm. Southwesterly wind building to 70 km/h. Temperatures steady around -20˚C.

Saturday

Snow 5-10 cm. Southwest wind 60 to 80 km/h at ridge tops. High of -15˚C.

Sunday

Snow 5-10 cm. Southwest wind 60 to 80 km/h at ridge tops. High of -10˚C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
• Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
• The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.