Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Apr 15 – 16, 2012Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
No rating
Treeline
No rating
Below
No rating
Open full map

Highlights

We are no longer issuing Danger ratings for this region. Most professional operators are finished for the season, and observations are very limited. Avalanche problems are listed for spring conditions.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–6
    Large cornices exist in alpine terrain. A failure could be destructive by itself, and could also trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–5
    Snow stability can deteriorate very quickly with warm spring temperatures. Watch for loose wet avalanches on steep terrain, especially under direct solar radiation.

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–5
    Snow stability can deteriorate very quickly with spring temperatures. Melt freeze crusts are common in the spring and provide ideal sliding surfaces for wet slabs. Destructive glide cracks also fall into the wet slab category.

Weather Forecast

Avalanche Summary

As we transition into spring the surface layers have a great deal of influence on the snowpack. When there is a solid re-frozen surface crust, travel is fast and easy, and the snowpack is held together by the surface cap. Any deeper persistent weak layers are unlikely to fail until the surface cap breaks down from daytime heating. When there is no crust, any deeper weak layers may fail depending on the amount of heat and the triggering force that is applied. If it cools off and snows, new snow and windslabs may not bond well to the hard spring crusts.

Snowpack Summary

Spring conditions exist in the region. Exposure to the sun, warm temperatures, and periods of rain are the most likely factors to influence the avalanche danger. If the temperatures go below freezing overnight, strong crusts should develop that are likely to hold the snowpack together. If the sun shines for a few hours, the crusts may break down quickly and moist surface snow avalanches may start running naturally. Continued warming from more sun, rain, or no overnight freeze, may cause surface avalanches to step down and trigger deeper wet slab avalanches. Prolonged warming may also weaken large and destructive cornices. It is important to monitor the temperature and the freezing levels as they may change rapidly from day to day.

Regions covered