Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Coastal
Small fresh wind slabs reactive to human triggers are expected to form on lee features below ridgetops on Friday.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Watch for newly formed wind slabs as you transition into wind effected terrain.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported in this region on Wednesday.
Snowpack Summary
Surface snow consists of thin sun crusts, sugary faceted snow, and wind pressed snow on a range of aspects in exposed terrain. In sheltered areas at treeline and below, 20-30 cm of snow sits over a layer of surface hoar that has been reactive to skier traffic in isolated locations.
In the upper/mid-pack you will likely find layers of crusts, facets, and isolated surface hoar buried 50-100 cm below the surface.
Deeper in the snowpack, around 150-200 cm down there is a crust/surface hoar layer from January which still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like cornice fall.
Sugary facets near the bottom of the snowpack would likely be found in colder and dryer parts of the region, such as the far north.
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY: Cloudy with flurries; 5-10 cm of new snow / Strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 500 m.
SATURDAY: 5-15 cm new snow / Moderate to strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1000 m.
SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy / Moderate southerly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1300 m.
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Small fresh wind slabs reactive to human triggers are expected to form on lee features below ridgetops on Friday.