Avalanche Forecast

Unsettled conditions with light flurries for the next few days.

MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with some isolated light flurries, moderate southwest wind, freezing level drops to valley bottom, alpine temperatures drop to -8 C.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloud with isolated flurries and some localized accumulations of 5 cm, light to moderate southwest wind, freezing level around 1000 m, alpine temperatures reach -4 C.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with some more light flurries, light to moderate northwest wind, freezing level around 1000 m, alpine temperatures reach -4 C.

THURSDAY: Sunny with a few clouds in the afternoon, moderate southwest wind, freezing level around 1000 m, alpine temperatures reach -4 C.

Light flurries could form thin wind slabs that have potential to be reactive above the surface hoar that formed over the past week. No recent avalanches have been reported, but there has been very limited mountain travel and field observations over the past few days.

A light dusting of snow sits above a variable mix of crusts, moist snow, and hard old wind slabs. Small surface hoar has been growing on the surface each night, likely remaining intact on shaded aspects during the day. Persistent weak layers may be found in the upper snowpack, but have been trending towards dormancy. The most prominent and widespread layer was buried in late February and is now 40 to 80 cm deep. This layer is most commonly found in open trees and has produced a few isolated avalanches over the past month.

• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
• Avoid terrain traps where the consequence of any avalanche could be serious.