Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

• Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

No new avalanches were reported, but observations remain limited.

Snow pinwheels were observed on steep treeline features on Saturday due to rain and warm temperatures near Iago Peak.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations via the Mountain Information Network.

Up to 20 cm of overnight snow is found at treeline and above, while rain has saturated the snowpack at lower elevations.

This overlies a variety of surfaces, including a crust on south-facing aspects and wind-affected snow on north-facing terrain.

The mid-December crust is 150 to 250 cm deep. This crust is 30 cm thick and well-bonded to the snow above.

In general, the snowpack is well settled and right-side up.

Sunday Night

Cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Monday

Cloudy. Up to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy. 25 to 40 cm of snow. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
• Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
• A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.