Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Freezing levels are uncertain

THURSDAY NIGHT: Flurries. Moderate northwesterly winds.FRIDAY: Dry with clear spells. Rapidly warming temperatures with freezing levels rising to 1800 m by the afternoon. Light northwesterly winds. SATURDAY: Dry with a mix of sun and cloud. Freezing levels continuing to climb as high as 2500 m. Light northwesterly winds.SUNDAY: Light precipitation falling as rain up to around 1500 m and snow above that. 4-6 mm/cm expected. Strong westerly winds.

Several rider-triggered persistent slab and wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported on Tuesday and Wednesday. The persistent slab avalanches were most prevalent between approximately 1500-1800 m. Wind slabs were most common above 1800 m. Widespread dry loose sluffing from steeper terrain features has also been reported. As the upper snowpack becomes denser with expected warming, potentially surprising avalanches are expected to become more likely and widespread.Check out this MIN report for a great overview of conditions including photos.

20-35 cm of recent new snow sits above a layer of large feathery surface hoar crystals and a sun crust. The new snow has been settling into a thin but reactive slab above this weak layer, with enhanced reactivity noted at elevations between 1500-1800 metres where the surface hoar is particularly well developed on all aspects. Until recently, in most sheltered places there was insufficient cohesion in the snow above the weak layer to form slab avalanches; reactivity was noted most in exposed areas where the wind had stiffened up the slab. Forecast warmer temperatures will likely change this and give enough cohesion in the upper snowpack for slab avalanches to be widely triggerable.The middle and lower portions of the snowpack are generally well-settled and strong.