Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

The ridge of high pressure continues to produce clear and dry conditions. Thursday should see a mix of sun and cloud. Freezing levels are expected to reach around 1500m as a warming trend begins heading into the weekend. Alpine winds on Thursday are expected to be moderate-to-strong from the NW. On Friday, similar conditions are expected with a mix of sun and cloud and moderate-to-strong NW winds in the alpine. However, freezing levels may reach over 2000m. On Saturday, freezing levels are forecast to remain around 2000m and increased cloud cover is expected.

No new avalanches have been reported recently. Natural avalanches are generally not expected on Thursday but small human-triggered avalanches remain possible in isolated areas, specifically wind-loaded areas of the alpine.

Up to 10 cm of new snow sits on the previous snow surface which was a mix of surface hoar, crusts, wind affected surfaces, and/or dry powder. Periods of moderate northerly winds have produced pockets of wind slab in exposed lee terrain. The most prominent snowpack features is a thick supportive crust around 10-30 cm below the surface. It extends up to around 2200m. Below this elevation the crust is effectively capping the snowpack, preventing riders from stressing deeper persistent weak layers. In alpine areas where the crust is not present or is less thick, it could still be possible to trigger a deep avalanche from rocky sun-exposed slopes, thin snowpack areas, or with a heavy load (i.e. cornice fall).