South Rockies

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

A ridge of high pressure will continue to keep things cold and dry throughout the forecast period. We should see a mix of sun and cloud for all 3 days, and no significant precipitation is expected. Winds are expected be light and northerly on Monday, becoming easterly on Tuesday and Wednesday. Alpine temperatures should hover around -18 on Monday dropping to about -20 for Tuesday and Wednesday.

No recent avalanche activity has been reported.

In many areas light amounts of new snow overlie well developed surface hoar and old stubborn wind slabs. A melt-freeze crust is now buried on most slopes that saw direct sun last week. In some parts of the region the recent snow has been shifted by light winds into soft slabs, and in certain areas wind has stripped surfaces down to old hard slabs which formed weeks ago.The main concern in the region continues to be the weak buried faceted snow which exists in the mid or lower snowpack (depending where you are in the region). No avalanche activity has been reported at this interface for some time; however, weaknesses continue to appear in snowpack tests. Although unlikely, avalanches at this interface could have nasty consequences. Possible triggers for this layer include cornice fall, rapid temperature change or a heavy load over a thin spot.