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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 11th, 2024–Mar 12th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Purcells, Dogtooth, East Purcell.

It's not time to step out yet. Mild temperatures and sun may increase the likelihood of avalanches on buried weak layers.

Steer clear of overhead hazard, and avoid thin and rocky start zones.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Small wind slabs were reported on Sunday, and reactivity to human triggers is expected to continue with snow available for transport.

Human triggering of very large persistent slab avalanches continues with a size 2 triggered over the weekend. A notable remotely triggered avalanche occurred near Golden on Thursday. And a fatal avalanche occurred in nearby Kananaskis Country on Sunday, where a similar snowpack structure exists.

Snowpack Summary

Light accumulations of storm snow sits over sun crusts on south facing slopes, wind-affected snow at higher elevations, and settling snow elsewhere.

A widespread crust is buried roughly 80-120 cm deep. Weak faceted crystals and surface hoar above this crust are contributing to large avalanches across the province and continue to be the primary layer of concern here.

Additionally, the lower snowpack is mostly made up of weak and faceted layers.

Weather Summary

Monday

Mostly cloudy with possible flurries. 20-40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels drop to 1000 m.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy with possible sunny breaks. 10-20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise to 1800 m. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Wednesday

A mix of sun and cloud with 10-20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise to 1700 m. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Thursday

A mix of sun and cloud with 40-50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise to 1800 m. Treeline temperature -2°C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
  • Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent and overhead slopes.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.