Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with clear periods, light southwest wind, alpine temperatures drop to -3 C.SUNDAY: Scattered flurries with sunny breaks and localized accumulations of 5 cm at higher elevations, gusty wind during flurries, freezing level to 2000 m.MONDAY: Light flurries continue throughout the day with sunny breaks, light wind, freezing level to 2000 m.TUESDAY: Sunny, light wind, freezing level to 2100 m.

Minimal avalanche activity has been reported in the Purcells over the past few days. A few small wind slabs have been reported on northeast alpine slopes and loose wet avalanches have been observed in steep south-facing terrain.On Sunday, watch for loose wet avalanches if the sun pokes out, and remain cautious of wind slabs.

Most slopes have entered a daily melt-freeze cycle, with the exception of north-facing slopes above 2000 m. On these colder slopes, you may find 10-20 cm of dry powder or isolated wind slabs. These same slopes may also have a layer of faceted grains buried 30 to 50 cm below the surface, but this layer that has shown signs of strengthening. Elsewhere, the surface has been melting each day and then freezing into a hard crust overnight. The mid snowpack is generally strong, but the base of the snowpack is composed of faceted snow that is capable of producing very large avalanches during times of intense warming (such as last week).Snow is disappearing rapidly at lower elevations.