Avalanche Forecast

No new avalanches were reported before 4pm on Sunday.

Be cognizant of the fact that when precipitation changes to rain, especially on dry snow and causes the surface to become wet, the avalanche danger is increasing. If signs of instability increase or loose wet avalanches are observed, it is recommended to move away from steep slopes.

Please help out your backcountry community by submitting a MIN report if you head out to the backcountry.

Todays snowfall and then rainfall will begin breaking down the upper snowpack crust at lower elevations. The warm and moist snow will settle rapidly, becoming dense and presenting as a slab. Strong to extreme south winds have continued to transport new snow building deeper slabs especially at higher elevations. Below treeline, you'll find dirt, or shallow, heavy, moist or wet snow.

The current snow depth ranges from 40 to 90 cm, diminishing rapidly below the 1000 m elevation threshold.

Terrain features with smooth ground cover, gullies, or established avalanche paths are above the threshold for avalanches.

Monday Night

Cloudy. Heavy snow and rain expected 50 to 100 mm. Freezing level rising to 1500-1900 m. Treeline temperature around 1 °C. Strong gusting extreme, south east ridgetop wind.

Tuesday

Cloudy. Heavy snow and rain that is expected to cease in the am 20-40 mm. Freezing level 1200-1500 m. Treeline temperature around 0 °C. Moderate building to strong in the afternoon, south west ridgetop wind.

Wednesday

Cloudy. Snow and rain 20 to 50 mm. Freezing level 1500-1700 m. Treeline temperature around 3 °C. Moderate gusting strong, south ridgetop wind.

Thursday

Cloudy. Snow and rain 10 to 30 mm. Freezing level 1500 m. Treeline temperature around 1 °C. Moderate gusting strong, south ridgetop wind.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.