Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Apr 4 – 5, 2018Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The primary avalanche concerns are wind slabs in exposed terrain and cornices along ridgelines.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Wind slabs have been a consistent feature for several days and will continue to be an issue in exposed terrain. Shifting winds means you should look out for wind slab on almost all aspects.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3
    Cornices are reported to be large and several cornice failures have recently been noted.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Around 5 cm new snow. Freezing level around 600 m. Moderate easterly to northeasterly winds.Friday: Flurries. Freezing level around 600 m. Light easterly winds.Saturday: 5-10 cm new snow. Freezing level around 700 m. Light easterly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous small slab avalanches have been reported in the top 10-20 cm of snow all through this week. It appears as though moderate amounts of new snow with just the right amount of wind have continuously set up thin, but touchy wind slabs in a variety of places. While these have been mostly small (size 1), a size 2 wind slab avalanche was reported near Fernie on Wednesday morning on a northeast aspect at approximately 2000 m.

Snowpack Summary

20-30 cm storm snow sits above a variety of crusts on all but high north aspects. Wind has formed isolated slabs in lee features, and in some cases snow may be poorly bonded to the crusts.There are some reports of a surface hoar layer roughly 80 cm deep on north aspects at treeline, but no recent avalanche activity on this layer. A layer of sugary facets around a crust exists near the bottom of the snowpack, but this layer has been inactive for some time.Cornices are large along ridgetops and were actively failing last week.

Regions covered