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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2013–Mar 31st, 2013

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

Regions

South Columbia.

Danger could INCREASE TO CONSIDERABLE with intense radiation on south and west aspects, especially at treeline and below. Be aware of how the warm weather is changing the snowpack.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Same story, sunglasses and sunscreen required. A dominating high pressure system with sunny skies, rising freezing levels and light winds continues through to Monday. The pattern will start to deteriorate by Tuesday, showing increased cloud and grey skies with no precipitation. Sunday: Few to scattered high cloud. Alpine temperatures 5.0 and freezing levels 2500 m. Ridgetop winds light from the NW.Monday: Scattered clouds. Alpine temperatures 6.0 and freezing levels rising to 2600 m. Ridgetop winds blowing light from the NW.Tuesday: Cloudy. Alpine temperatures -1.0 and freezing levels falling to 2300 m. Ridgetop winds blowing light from the SW.

Avalanche Summary

Solar aspects have been very active showing loads of natural loose wet avalanches and cornice releases up to size 2.5. I expect natural avalanche activity to continue with freezing levels to the moon and sunny skies throughout the forecast period.

Snowpack Summary

Surface faceting and surface hoar growth ( up to 20 mm) has been prevalent on shady slopes and at upper elevations, while the surface snow on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations has been subject to daily melt-freeze cycles. Cornices are large and weak. Surface hoar buried March 10th is down more than a metre in most places. This layer seems to be bonding in most places and is a low probability - high consequence problem. If triggered, it would probably require a very large load (cornice fall) or hitting the sweet spot in thin, variable snowpack areas.

Problems

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.

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.