Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to variable weather conditions

A series of Pacific frontal waves and upper troughs will bring continued unsettled weather through the forecast period. Light -moderate precipitation amounts can be expected daily. With fast moving systems, timing seems to be hard to pinpoint. A strong upper SW flow will provide warmer the normal temperatures, rising freezing levels in the afternoon, then falling during the night. Things should start to cool off significantly by Friday. Wednesday: Snow amounts 5-10 cm above 1100 m. Ridgetop winds moderate from the South. Freezing levels 1000-1500 m. Thursday/Friday: Moderate precipitation on Thursday, light-moderate for Friday. Ridgetop winds mod-strong from the SW. Freezing levels 1000 m, falling to 500 m.

Most operations have reported very little avalanche activity within their tenures. Reports of glide cracks continue to widen on solar aspects. On Sunday natural cornice failures triggered slab avalanches up to size 2.5 on the slopes below. Unsettled weather conditions are forecast. It's important to pay attention to weather, and it's influence on the snowpack when recreating in your local mountains. I suspect the period will be fairly cloudy, but if periods of sun shine through, beware of solar aspects.

Moderate to strong southeast winds have created wind slabs on opposite slopes and terrain features in the alpine, and treeline. Spring-like conditions have existed over the past several days. This has formed crusts on solar aspects at all elevations that become moist under sunny skies during the day. Melt-freeze conditions exist on all aspects below 1000 m. This has developed a well settled upper snowpack with no significant layers of concern. New surface hoar growth up to 10 mm has been reported on sheltered North aspects. Forecast snow may initially have a poor bond to these new surface forms (crusts, surface hoar). Below all this, down 60-120 cm exists a spotty surface hoar/ facet interface. Operations from the field noted no recent activity on this layer. I suspect it's becoming dormant, but would be suspicious of large triggers like cornice fall, or under the weight of a sled and it's rider in specific areas. Cornices in the region are reported to be very large and potentially unstable.