Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Thursday

On Wednesday expect increased cloud throughout the region. Weather models are disagreeing on snowfall amounts for Thursday/Friday. Some are claiming 5-10cm for each day, while others are looking a lot drier. Stay tuned for more info. Winds are expected to be light to moderate from the northwest trending to light and variable by Friday. Freezing levels are expected to be at about 1100m on Wednesday trending to about 1400m for Thursday/Friday.

Avalanche activity has decreased dramatically since the start of the cooling pattern on Monday. One exception was a size 2 natural slab avalanche that was triggered by cornice fall in the Invermere area on Monday. It occurred on a northeast aspect at 2400m.

Cooling has helped the snowpack to gain considerable strength since the warming on the weekend and a crusts have now developed on most slopes that saw direct sun.On shaded aspects the upper snowpack is also well settled. Below this sits a fairly well bonded mid-pack and riders are feeling increasingly confident in steeper terrain. The mid December facet/surface hoar layer is buried approx. 80 cm on the east side and 200+ cm on the west side. Operators are talking less about this layer as of late. There are also basal facets at the ground which were reactive with the warming last weekend, especially in the thin snowpack parts of the region. Snowpack depths at 2000m sit near 2m deep. If you're traveling around the mountains, it's a good time to take notice of what layers are developing (surface hoar/ crusts/surface hoar on crusts) that may become an issue once buried.