Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Forecasts are for use by experienced backcountry travelers in uncontrolled sidecountry and backcountry terrain. These forecasts and conditions do not apply to open, in-bounds terrain at ski resorts, which is subject to avalanche control by local resort ski patrol.
Avalanche Rating
Considerable (3)
Watch for reactive deposits in areas impacted by wind. Be mindful that gusty and stronger winds can build touchy slabs lower in features than usual.
More Detail
To get the complete forecast with additional graphics and details, please view the Avalanche Canada Zone forecast provided by Avalanche Canada.
Snowpack Discussion
Weekend flurries have accumulated up to 30 cm of fresh snow around the region. Southerly winds have formed deeper deposits on northerly aspects and wind slabs in lee features. In sheltered areas, the fresh snow may overlie surface hoar crystals.
A layer of surface hoar is now buried 30 to 60 cm and is most prevalent around treeline elevations and north aspects. We're tracking this layer as the load (and resulting slab) builds above it. We may see reactivity increase when the load above reaches a critical threshold. At lower elevations or on steep south-facing slopes a crust is at this interface instead of surface hoar.
The lower snowpack is well-settled without any deeper concerns.
Avalanche Activity
On Saturday, explosives control work and skier traffic triggered storm slab avalanches to size 2, averaging 20 to 40 cm deep. Field reports commented on gusty and variable winds producing small, reactive slabs lower in features than usual.