Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Friday: A mix of sun and cloud, but dry, with freezing levels in valley bottoms and light southwesterly winds. Saturday: Mainly cloudy with light snow and moderate southwesterly winds in the afternoon. Freezing levels remaining in valley bottoms. Sunday: Mainly cloudy with light snow flurries, strong southwesterly winds and freezing levels in valley bottoms.

West of the divide recent reports include a Size 1.5 skier triggered storm slab avalanche in the southern Elk Valley. But reports indicate no recent activity east of the divide.

Another 5-10 cm of fresh snow adds to the previous storm snow that is bonding poorly to the old snow surface buried early January. However, east of the divide there has been much less recent snow and much more wind. Extensive scouring has been reported in some areas and and stiff wind slabs exist in lee features at treeline and in the alpine. In areas that have seen less extreme wind, recently formed wind slabs are likely softer, deeper, and may overlie surface hoar, facets, and/or a sun crust which formed at the start of January. The early December crust can be found down around 60-90cm. It is not currently expected to pose an avalanche problem but could wake-up in the future with substantial warming or heavy snow loading.