Avalanche Forecast

Saturday night: Partly cloudy with isolated flurries; 3-5 cm / Light northwest wind / Low of -10 / Freezing level valley bottom.

Sunday: Mix of sun and cloud with convective flurries, 3-10 cm / Light north wind / High of -1 / Freezing level 1300 m.

Monday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light east wind / High of -3 / Freezing level 1200 m.

Tuesday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light east wind / High of -5 / Freezing level valley bottom.

A wet loose natural avalanche cycle up to size 3 was reported on Friday. 

Wet loose avalanches will become less likely as temperatures cool, but remain possible on sunny days.

10-15 cm of new snow buries a breakable melt-freeze crust that exists on all aspects to at least 2200 m.

Recent strong southwesterly winds formed wind slabs on lee aspects at treeline and above.

Recent avalanches have been failing on a melt-freeze crust down 60-85 cm. Occasionally, these avalanches have stepped-down to a rain crust formed in early December which resulted in some very large avalanches. 

These large events are most likely to occur during periods of warming when freezing levels reach roughly 2500 m or higher.

Cornices are very large and exposure to slopes beneath them should be minimized, especially if the weather is sunny, warm, or windy.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
• When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.