Avalanche Forecast

On Monday, widespread small to large (up to size 3) natural and human triggered avalanches continued to be reported. They were most common on north through southeast facing treeline terrain.

Some involved just the recent storm snow, but others failed up to 100 cm deep, on a weak layer buried in late January.

Some avalanches at treeline and below became wet and entrained a lot of debris.

We expect similar avalanches to occur on Wednesday.

30 to 50 cm of settling snow sits atop layers of surface hoar in sheltered terrain and a thin crust on sun-affected slopes.

Below these layers, the upper snowpack is largely faceted and poorly bonded with another layer of surface hoar in sheltered terrain and a thin crust on sun-affected slopes. This layer, buried in late January, varies in depth but generally exists within the upper 100 cm of snow.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow. 10 to 25 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy in the morning, clearing in the afternoon. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1750 m.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries, as much as 5 cm in some places. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, lighter on the east side of the forecast area. Freezing level falling to 1000 m overnight, rising to 1800 m.

Friday

Mostly sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level falling to near valley bottom overnight, rising to 2250 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.
• Use conservative route selection and resist venturing into complex terrain.
• Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
• The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.