Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Saturday

SATURDAY: Cloudy with flurries bringing another 10-15 cm overnight, particularly in the southern part of the region, accompanied by light winds and freezing levels around 1300 m.SUNDAY: Cloudy with light flurries bringing another 5 cm, light southerly winds and freezing levels around 1400 m.MONDAY: Cloudy with light flurries bringing another 5-10 cm, moderate southwesterly wind and freezing level around 1400 m.

Reports from Thursday and Friday morning include natural, ski-cut and explosives controlled 20-40 cm thick storm and wind slab avalanches up to Size 2. Explosives control also produced numerous 30-80 cm thick Size 2 deep persistent slab avalanches running on basal facets and depth hoar in previously controlled steep northeast facing terrain. Other reports include continued natural wet loose avalanche activity up to Size 2 at treeline and below. Touchy new storm slabs are sensitive to light triggers and have the potential to step down and trigger persistent slab avalanches.

Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At lower elevations the snow surface is wet and cohesionless and should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm.