Selkirk Mountains

The snowpack is generally safe and mostly free from avalanching. Continue to assess steep exposed terrain below ridges, on rollovers, and in gullies for pockets of shallow drifts that may catch you off guard. 

After three-weeks of cold, dry weather that transformed the snow surface into a hodgepodge of weak snow grains, it’s important to start shifting our travel mindset from an open-season perspective back to one with more caution and awareness. Terrain that you comfortably recreated in recently will likely become off-limits once snowfall and increasing winds push the avalanche triggering pendulum the other direction in the coming days.

Little change in the weather through mid-week contributes to little change in avalanche conditions. The almost three-week period of cold, dry conditions is leaving its mark on the upper snowpack. Extensive near-surface weakening in the form of faceted grains and surface hoar has been observed across all forecast zones and sets the stage for an uptick in danger when the next round of snowfall arrives. For now, stable conditions prevail.

Periods of Low (1of5) avalanche danger and good visibility offer a great opportunity to recreate in steeper terrain and seek out more committing objectives. These offerings don’t come free of charge and using good travel habits and group decision making will go a long way to help reduce your exposure to the small, isolated hazards that may be lurking. Observers continue to find pseudo reactive pockets of drifted slabs, but they have been generally shallow and not breaking wide. Just big enough to knock you over if not paying attention. Its more critical to manage this flavor and size of avalanche hazard in very steep couloirs or on hanging snow fields where an unexpected nudge from moving snow could send you on a slide for life or push you over a cliff – carrying with it serious consequences.

As the much-anticipated shift in weather approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on how our risk assessment and terrain management changes in conjunction with the avalanche hazard. The last couple weeks of pleasant weather and a stable snowpack has presented an opportune time to extend into larger and more consequential terrain. A quick shift in weather is expected to start early Friday and last through the weekend, which will deliver some promising snow totals and stronger wind speeds. Be ready to turn your avalanche brain back on, and to dial back ambitions and terrain choices. Expect that this brisk change will increase the avalanche hazard.

**We continue to receive intermittent reports of opening glide cracks and some failing naturally producing large to very large glide avalanches. Avoid traveling on or below slopes where a glide crack has opened. These types of avalanches are difficult to forecast when they will release.**