Continued snowfalls will keep the danger elevated.
Avoid alpine terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow or wind.
Heavy snowfalls will likely create touchy slabs in steep terrain, especially on wind-loaded slopes. These slabs may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger-than-expected avalanches.
No recent avalanche has been reported, but field observations are limited. Natural avalanche activity likely occurred during the storm on Thursday. If you head into the backcountry, please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.
Thursday, the region received 15-20 cm of new storm snow. Moderate to strong wind has likely formed deeper, more reactive deposits in leeward terrain. This overlies soft snow, wind-affected or wind-scoured surfaces. A weak layer of faceted crystal or surface hoar found 65-80 cm deep remains a concern. The midpack is generally facetted to ground.
The average snowpack depth at treeline is around 150 cm.
Thursday Night
Cloudy with isolated flurries expected. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -8 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with 15 to 20 cm of new snow expected. 30 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -3 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy with 5 cm of new snow expected. 50 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow expected. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +1 °C. Freezing level around 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
