Avalanche Forecast
Lizard Range and Flathead
Pay close attention to how the new snow is bonding to the old snow surfaces. Avalanche danger will increase rapidly on sunny slopes, if the sun makes an appearance on Tuesday.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Keep an eye out for localized areas of deeper snow accumulation, and pockets of wind slab.
- Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and tree line. Storm snow may form touchy slabs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
If the sun comes out on Tuesday, expect the new snow to become reactive and/or slide naturally.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid exposure to sunny slopes.
- Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.
- Watch for signs that the snow is moistening such as pin-wheeling and point-releases below cliffs
Avalanche Summary
On Monday we received reports of several natural size 1.5 dry loose avalanches, and confined to the recent storm snow.
On Friday and Saturday, several small wet loose avalanches to size 1.5 were reported on sunny aspects at all elevations. A size 1.5 natural cornice failure was also reported on a high north east facing ridge line, which did not trigger any slabs below.
Snowpack Summary
10-12cm of new snow fell Sunday overnight into Monday. This new snow sits on a wide variety of old surfaces: a melt-freeze crust on sunny aspects, or surface hoar (up to 30mm in size) and/or dry snow on north aspects above 1500-1800m.
Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December and late-November weak layers are composed of crusts and sugary facets, which are down 150-300 cm. These layers have been dormant but may be awoken by a large trigger, such as a cornice fall, or by humans traveling in thin-to-thick snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
We're in between storm systems for the next two days. More snow (10cm+) on Thursday.
TUESDAY: Cloudy with sunny breaks and scattered flurries. Light to moderate westerly winds. Alpine temperature +2 C. Freezing level 1700 m.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with sunny breaks and scattered flurries. Light to moderate westerly winds. Alpine temperature +3 C. Freezing level 1900 m.
THURSDAY: Snow (10 cm). Moderate southerly winds. Alpine temperature +3 C. Freezing level 2000 m.
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The new snow from Sunday-Monday may not bond well to underlying surfaces. Dry loose sluffs may run fast and far, especially if the new snow sits on a slippery melt-freeze crust.