Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain

Tonight and Saturday: Periods of rain of snow (10-20 mm or cm). The freezing level should drop from 2000 m overnight to 1500 m on Saturday. Winds are light gusting to moderate from the S-SE. Sunday: Probably a drier day. Freezing levels should jump back to 2000-2200 m. Winds may increase to strong from the south. Monday: Cloudy with periods of rain. The freezing level is around 1800 m and winds are moderate from the S-SW.

There have been no recent reports of avalanches in the past several days; however, I suspect it may be possible to trigger thin new wind slabs in open leeward terrain, particularly in the alpine.

Around 10 cm of new snow now covers the previous variable snow surface consisting of surface hoar or facetted snow in sheltered areas, and pockets of old wind slab or a crust (from last weeks rain) in open wind-exposed terrain. Recent cold temperatures created a strong temperature gradient in the upper snowpack resulting in facetting of the surface layers. Winds during the past week were strong variable and blew snow into dense wind slabs on a variety of aspects or cross-loaded gulley features. Fresh new wind slabs are also possible below ridges and terrain features on north and east facing terrain. A solid rain crust is buried 10-40 cm deep up to 2000 m. Another crust that was buried in mid-November is down 40-60 cm. The snow pack depth drops significantly below treeline with essentially no snow below 1600 m.