Avalanche Forecast

Clear dry weather continues over the weekend.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear skiers, light northwest wind, freezing level drops to valley bottom, alpine temperatures drop to -6 C.

SATURDAY: Sunny, moderate northwest wind, freezing level climbing to 1800 m in the afternoon, alpine temperatures reach -1 C.

SUNDAY: Clear skies in the morning then increasing cloud in the afternoon, moderate west wind, freezing level climbing to 1500 m in the afternoon, alpine temperatures reach -3 C.

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with some isolated flurries, moderate southwest wind, freezing level around 1500 m, alpine temperatures around -3 C. 

Recent avalanche activity has primarily been small wet loose avalanches in steep south-facing terrain (size 1-1.5). Persistent slab avalanche activity has quieted down over the past two weeks, with only a few small to large avalanches releasing on the late February surface hoar layer (size 1-2). They most often released between 1700 m and 2100 m on northwest to east aspects.

Looking forward, daytime warming will create potential for more wet loose avalanches. If you decide to travel in the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Surface conditions are highly variable with a mix of crusts, moist snow, and hard wind slabs. The surface will become moist on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations throughout the day. Persistent weak layers may be found in the upper snowpack, but have trended towards being unreactive under the current conditions. The most widespread layer was buried in late February and is now 40 to 80 cm deep. This layer is most commonly found in open trees and has produced a few isolated avalanches over the past few weeks.

• Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
• Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.