Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Inland
Watch for wind slabs on a variety of slopes at treeline and alpine elevations.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Travel on ridgetops to avoid wind slabs on slopes below.
- Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
- Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Buried weak layers are most likely to be triggered from thin or variable depth snowpack areas; or with a large load like a cornice fall.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid thin, rocky or sparsely-treed slopes.
- If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Summary
Rapid wind loading caused a natural avalanche cycle to size 2.5 on Wednesday. With ongoing moderate to strong winds forecast, wind slabs will remain possible to trigger over the next few days. Persistent slabs could still be triggered from thin-to-thick snowpack areas, or with a heavy load like a cornice fall.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack has gone through several bouts of fighting with strong to extreme northerly winds in the last week. You are likely to encounter wind slabs in many places. Variable surface conditions include fragile cornices, hard and soft wind slabs, and scoured surfaces.
The wind slabs sit on various old surfaces including sun crusts, facets and spotty surface hoar (which is most prevalent in sheltered treed locations). Around 50-150 cm down, you will find a crust/surface hoar layer from mid-January, which still has the chance to surprise you and could be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like cornice fall. Facets at the base of the snowpack can possibly be triggered from shallow snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY: 2-10 cm snow. Freezing level near 500 m. Moderate to strong westerly winds.
SATURDAY: Light snow. Freezing level near 300 m. Moderate winds.
SUNDAY: Flurries. Freezing level near 600 m. Moderate winds.
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Wind slabs are widespread and could be triggered by the weight of a person.