Avalanche Forecast

Good - -1

A firmly embedded ridge of high pressure over Alberta seems to be causing systems to fizzle once they reach the Columbia Mountains. On Friday light snowfall is expected but should taper-off with only trace amounts forecast for Saturday/Sunday. Winds should be light and west/northwesterly throughout the period with freezing levels peaking at about 1100m.

Avalanche activity over the past few days has been mostly limited to cornice fall and isolated small windslabs.

Very warm alpine temperatures from last weekend melted snow surfaces and a crust now exists to ridge top on solar aspects. In general, the upper snowpack is now well settled and riders are shredding pretty much everything. The exception may be isolated wind slabs that formed at higher elevations with moderate alpine winds on Monday/Tuesday. Deeper weaknesses in the snowpack seem to less of a concern; however, in the southern end of the region there is still talk of basal facets as some operators are avoiding thin and rocky alpine features. This represents a very low probability-high consequence scenario. Large, unstable cornices are also widespread in the alpine. A dusting of new snow now sits on weak snow crystals that developed during the week (surface hoar/crusts/facets). This will be the thing to watch as the overlying slab evolves.