Avalanche Forecast

On Sunday, a natural cornice fall triggered a large wind slab avalanche on a south-facing alpine slope. The slab failed on a buried crust, highlighting that while a significant load may be required to trigger avalanches, the potential for large avalanches remains.

Looking ahead, new snow is expected to be particularly unstable as it accumulates on a variety of weak layers in the upper snowpack, which could significantly increase avalanche activity.

New snow will begin accumulating on Wednesday, overlaying a generally weak upper snowpack composed of several potentially weak layers.

Widespread surface hoar has formed over the past week, particularly around treeline elevations and below. In sun-exposed terrain, surface hoar may rest atop a thin crust, while elsewhere it sits atop a mix of old wind-affected surfaces and weak, faceted snow.

A widespread crust with facets and/or surface hoar, buried in mid-January, is located approximately 20 to 50 cm below the surface. Several other potential surface hoar layers, buried throughout January have also been reported at similar depths.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well consolidated.

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h east ridegtop wind. Treeline temperature - 12 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
• Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
• Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.
• Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.