Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Thursday

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Snow, accumulation 15-25 cm / Moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -6 C THURSDAY: Snow, accumulation 20-30 cm / Moderate to strong southwest wind / Alpine temperature -3 C / Freezing level 1200 mFRIDAY: Snow, accumulation 10-15 cm / Moderate to strong south wind / Alpine temperature -7 C SATURDAY: Scattered flurries / Light moderate west wind / Alpine temperature -6

Expect to see widespread avalanche activity on Thursday as a vigorous storm passes through the region Wednesday night through Thursday.There was a social media report describing an avalanche involvement that resulted in the partial burial of one individual in the Allan Creek area on Sunday. The rider's use of an airbag pack appears to have aided a quick and successful companion rescue effort.

An additional 30-40 cm of new snow falling Wednesday during the day and night will add to last weekend's storm snow totals of 35-45 cm. In many areas, the accumulated new snow overlies a layer of surface hoar that was reportedly widespread at treeline and above. A layer buried 110-180cm composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and a sun crust on steep south-facing slopes is believed to be gaining strength. Places that might still challenge this assumption would be steep north and east facing slopes between 1900-2300 m and steep south-facing slopes in the alpine.A weak layer from mid-November and a crust that formed in late October are found near the bottom of the snowpack. The probability of triggering these deeper layers is low, but the most suspect areas would be shallow spots in steep, rocky terrain.