Up to 15cm of new snow has fallen in the last 24 hours at Tree Line elevations and above. If the winds pick up this will create fresh windslabs, keep this in mind when selecting objectives for the day.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Wednesday, cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Trace amounts. Winds 2okm/hr gusting to 45 km/hr. Freezing level 1600m. On Thursday expect cloudy with sunny periods, trace amounts of snow and freezing levels to 1700m.
Snowpack Summary
15cm of new snow above 1700m. This overlies temperature crust on steep solar aspects. Sheltered locations may hold 15-30cm of spring powder snow over previous wind surfaces and crusts. Several thick and thin crusts exist in the upper snowpack depending on aspect, elevation, and angle. The middle of the snowpack is supportive and well consolidated.
Avalanche Summary
Maligne and Icefield's patrol on April 26th observed several loose wet avalanches up to size 2 mainly solar triggered. Loose Dry avalanches up to size 1. Consult the Mountain Information Network for recent observations, and please consider submitting a MIN report .
Confidence
Problems
Loose Wet
This problem can range from unreactive to touchy depending on a cornucopia of changing daily weather conditions. Watch this problem increase during the day as temperatures rise and solar input occurs. A small initiation can quickly gain momentum.
- Watch for clues, like sluffing off of cliffs, that the snowpack is warming up.
- Use extra caution on solar slopes or if the snow is moist or wet.
Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Cornices are large and menacing. Variable Spring conditions can make them solid one moment and fragile the next. Always a good idea to avoid them. Consider them large triggers on the slopes below and inherently dangerous by their mass.
- Cornices become weak with daytime heating, so travel early on exposed slopes.
- Avoid travel on slopes that are exposed to cornices overhead.
Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
Numerous Loose Dry avalanches observed in the Alpine on April 26th.
- Be careful of loose dry power sluffing in steep terrain.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 27th, 2022 4:00PM
