Winter up high and spring down low leaves us with a highly variable snowpack and a series of avalanche problems. Expect the sun to pack a punch today and avoid South & West aspects!
Weather Forecast
A mix of sun and cloud today as a ridge of high pressure sits over our area. Today freezing level will rise to 1700m and winds will be from the SW at 15kph. Expect the sun to pack a punch today when it comes out!! The weather will get stormy again tonight as a cold front passes over the southern province bringing another 15cm of snow & gusty winds.
Snowpack Summary
March has been a snowy month with snowfall in the alpine almost every day. In the last week we received 60cm at treeline. Multiple crusts exist in the upper snowpack at treeline & below. Daily warming has been turning the surface snow moist in the afternoons at lower elevations. Cornices keep growing in the alpine and should not be trusted!
Avalanche Summary
In the highway corridor there was some natural avalanche activity from steep north faces, because of recent new snow and a spike in winds. Earlier in the week a sz 2.0 glide crack avalanche was observed. There has been minimal reports from skiers/riders in the back country as fewer people are out there and we transition into spring.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.