Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain

Sunday night and Monday: A weakening front is moving across the S part of the region possibly bringing trace precipitation for Sunday evening. A ridge of high pressure is building on Monday allowing some sun and clouds, moderate W winds, and freezing levels rising to 1200 m.Tuesday: A low pressure approaches the interior which could leave light to moderate precipitation with moderate to strong winds from the SW and freezing levels rising to 1800 m.Wednesday:  Another frontal system is moving across the province which could bring more light precipitation and slightly similar mild temperatures but with lighter winds from the same direction.

Widespread natural activity was reported on solar aspects producing size 1 loose wet avalanches on steep slopes. Some of these would have triggered wet slabs size 2 on underlying slopes. There was also report of some cornice failure, some of which pulled out size 3 slab avalanches on the underlying alpine features.  There was also report of windslabs size 1 that were triggered by sledders on windloaded shaded aspects.

Wind slabs exist in the alpine and at treeline on lee features of recent SW and W winds. They will still be susceptible to sledder and skier triggering. Outside of wind effected areas, top snowpack is generally gaining strength and starting to bond to the underlying surfaces. The deeper surface hoar/sun crust persistent weak layer down 60-90 cm is less reactive to skier traffic but could still be triggered by a large load (like a cornice fall or a windslab avalanche stepping down). This layer remains a concern to professionals. At the surface, there is a suncrust on SE-S-SW facing slopes at all the way up in the alpine, a melt-freeze crust up to 1600 m. and some surface hoar on shaded slopes above that elevation.