Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - The snowpack structure is mostly striaghtforward and not unusually variable.

A frontal system will arrive on Friday night and bring strong wind and new snow.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy skies with some light flurries and up to 5 cm of snow, light wind from the west, treeline temperatures drop to -10 C.

FRIDAY: Increasing cloud with afternoon flurries bringing a trace amount of snow, moderate wind from the southwest with gusts to 50 km/h, treeline temperatures around -7 C.

SATURDAY: Snowing throughout the day with a total of 20-30 cm, strong wind from the southwest with gusts to 80 km/h, freezing level climbs to 1300 m with treeline temperatures reaching -2 C.

SUNDAY: Partly cloudy with scattered flurries and up to 5 cm of new snow, moderate wind from the southwest, treeline temperatures around -6 C.

Recent avalanche activity has been limited to small sluffs running above the shallowly buried crust. There's potential for wind slabs near ridgetops, otherwise not much avalanche activity is expected until the arrival of Saturday's storm.

15-25 cm of recent snow is settling above the widespread crust that formed during last week's atmospheric river. In many areas this snow has been capped by a thin breakable crust. We suggest monitoring the bond of the snow to these upper crusts as there is potential for weak layers to develop around them. Snow depths are roughly 60-120 cm at treeline and the majority of the snowpack consists of thick crust layers.

• Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
• Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.