Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain. Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Friday Overnight: Snowing, 10-20 cm of accumulation in White Pass. Strong southwest winds. Freezing level around 600m.

Saturday: Continued snowfall, 5-10 cm of accumulation. Moderate to strong southwest winds. Freezing level 500-800m.

Sunday: Mainly cloudy, trace to 5 cm of new snow accumulation. Strong southerly winds. Freezing level 500m.

Monday: Partially cloudy, trace new snow. Moderate to strong southwest winds. Freezing level at the valley bottom.

When the sun came out on Friday, several natural loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed in thin snowpack areas inland from White Pass. These avalanches entrained most of the snowpack, pulling pockets of slab in the track. 

A significant storm is impacting the region and has brought 15-30 cm of new snow to the White Pass area with continued snowfall throughout today. The accompanying strong to extreme southerly winds have created extensive wind effect at all elevations, building deep deposits of wind slab in lee areas and generally making for adverse travel conditions and poor snow quality. 

Below the new snow, the snowpack is heavily wind affected. A variety of old surfaces exists including a thin rime crust at treeline and hard old wind slabs at higher elevations. The lower snowpack is facetted above the ground surface.

• Keep your guard up at lower elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive.
• Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of strong wind.
• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet
• If triggered loose wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.