Avalanche Forecast

High - Due to the number and quality of field observations

WEDNESDAY: partly cloudy, light southwesterly winds, 1500m freezing level with an inversion and above freezing level extending into the alpine. THURSDAY: mainly sunny, light southwest winds, freezing level rising to 2500m. FRIDAY: light snow through the day, light south winds, freezing level 2000m.

Numerous natural and artificially triggered storm slab avalanches were reported over the last couple of days. Although natural avalanche activity is now slowing, wind slab avalanches are expected to remain reactive to human-triggering. Cornices are reported to be large and fragile, and may fail under the weight of a person.

The recent storm snow continues to settle and gain strength, however, some lingering mid storm instabilities are still reactive to ski cutting in steeper terrain features. Ongoing southeast through southwest winds have been loading lee features in the alpine and at treeline and cornices are large and fragile. A thin breakable crust may cap moist snow on slopes that see direct sun. Several crusts can be found in the upper meter depending on elevation and aspect. The upper snow pack is sitting on a more widespread and thicker crust that extends into the alpine. In most places this crust is bridging a layer of surface hoar buried in early January. It is becoming increasingly hard to make this layer fail in snowpack tests and triggering an avalanche on it is unlikely.