Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended on Sunday.
As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
This layer remains a concern in high north facing terrain where the snowpack depth is variable. This layer may become more reactive with the added stress of new snow and wind.
Ongoing snow and wind will build increasingly sensitive storm slabs on Sunday. Conservative decision making is essential. Avoid exposure to avalanche terrain and overhead hazards.
No new avalanches were reported on Saturday by 4 pm.
As storm snow accumulates through the weekend, we anticipate an increase in avalanche activity on Sunday as storm slabs grow deeper and become more reactive.
If you are headed to the backcountry, please consider sharing your photos and observations from your day on the Mountain Information Network.
By Sunday morning, storm snow totals are expected to be up to 50 cm, with an additional 15 to 35 cm of snow expected through the day. Storm snow covers a crust on all aspects except on high north facing terrain, where new snow buries 5 cm of snow overlying a crust from earlier in March. This second crust likely doesn’t exist above 2100 m.
A layer of facets and surface hoar from mid February can be found down around 40 cm.
Another layer of facets and surface hoar from late January can be found down 60 to 80 cm.
The lower snowpack contains several crusts that are not concerning.
Saturday Night
Cloudy with heavy flurries, 20 to 40 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level around 1200 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with flurries, 15 to 35 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level around 1200 m.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level around 1000 m.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level around 1300 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
