Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the speed, direction, or duration of the wind and its effect on the snowpack.

Monday night: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 10 cm. Increasingly strong west wind. Ridgetop low -8 C.

Tuesday: Unsettled with flurries, 5-15 cm. Moderate southwest-west wind. Ridgetop high -4 C.

Wednesday: Snow, 10-20 cm. Moderate south wind gusting to extreme. Ridgetop high -2 C.

Thursday: Heavy Snow, 40 cm. Strong ridge wind gusting to 50 km/h. Ridgetop high -1 C.

Early Monday morning, in the north of the region, workers reported a natural wind slab on a northwest aspect with a 60 cm depth.

On Sunday, a large (size 2.5) natural storm slab avalanche was observed on a north aspect at 1600m. Throughout the region, explosives triggered numerous storm and wind slab avalanches to size 2.5. 

Late Saturday and early Sunday morning, explosives triggered storm slab avalanches to size 2 (and one 2.5) in the northern end of the region.

20-50 cm wind slabs and wind affected snow sits over a crust on all aspects and elevations except high elevation north-facing terrain. In the north of the region, small surface hoar may be found above this crust where this layer continues to display poor (sudden fracture characteristics) results in snowpack tests.

• Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
• Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
• Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.