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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2016–Apr 3rd, 2016

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

Some cloud cover should keep the solar input at bay, but watch locally for sun affect as the danger rating can spike dramatically and rapidly. We are close to true spring conditions, so get up early and come home early.

Weather Forecast

Sunday calls for mainly cloudy conditions Freezing levels to 2400m, light Westerly winds and some flurries.  Monday looks like a few cm of snow with freezing levels to 2300m.

Snowpack Summary

After 3 hot days, expect surface crusts on all aspects (expect high due North aspects) with moist snow underneath. Crusts will rapidly break down with daytime heating or sun exposure. Other buried crusts can be found in the upper pack on solar aspects. Only dry snow is on due north aspects at high elevations.

Avalanche Summary

Less natural activity today due to moderate winds. Yesterday, numerous deep persistent avalanches to size 3 on many aspects, and loose wet avalanches to size 2.5 on solar aspects. On Thursday, there were solar induced natural avalanches in Kootenay to size 3.5 where the sun has been out all day. Many of these were stepping to ground.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Sunday

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.

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.

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.