A storm is expected to arrive Sunday night. If it arrives early, the Avalanche Danger may be higher than posted.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
Between 10-15 cm of new snow is expected to fall from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning Winds associated with the system should be moderate to strong from the west. A dry ridge of high pressure will bring increasingly clear skies for Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Daytime freezing levels should hover around 1700m for the forecast period.
Avalanche Summary
Sporadic cornice falls have occurred over the last week, some triggering slabs on the slope below. Otherwise, no new avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Large cornices overhang alpine slopes and threaten to trigger avalanches on slopes below. Recently formed wind slabs may be isolated to alpine wind-loaded terrain. In many places, the snow surface consists of a crust or moist snow and the snowpack is generally strong. Deeply buried weak layers near the ground are becoming hard to find, but may remain sensitive to triggering from thin snowpack areas or with large loads such as cornice fall.
Problems
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.