Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

No new avalanche observations have been observed or reported in this region.

With expected new snow and wind, I suspect that both natural and human-trigger avalanches will be widespread and certain.

Over the past 72 hr period, a warm storm front has brought over 50- 70 cm to the region. This snow has been highly wind affected and is likely to have stripped exposed windward alpine features, creating wind slabs in depths exceeding 100cm. The new snow has buried widespread wind affected surfaces that are likely topped by some combination of weak, faceted grains or surface hoar from the dry spell that accompanied the past arctic outbreak. Below this storm interface, the remainder of the snowpack is generally thin and weak as a result of the same cold temperatures and snowpack faceting.

Total snowpack depths in the region are around 100-120 cm but are highly variable in the heavily wind-affected alpine.

Friday Night

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 1 cm to 5 cm, 80 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -5 C, freezing level descending to 600 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 25 cm to 35 cm, 100 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -4 C, freezing level 600 m.

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 1 cm to 5 cm, 50 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level at sea level.

Cloudy with trace amounts of snow accumulation 1 cm to 10 cm. 30 km/h northwest wind, alpine temperature -10 C, freezing level at sea level.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Only the most simple non-avalanche terrain free of overhead hazard is appropriate at this time.
• Avoid areas with overhead hazard.