Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 19th, 2020 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Loose Wet.
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Avalanche Canada
Warm sunny weather continues. Use increased caution when slopes and cornices warm up throughout the day.
Summary
Confidence
High - We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear skies, light northwest wind, freezing level drops to 1000 m, alpine temperatures drop to -8 C.
FRIDAY: Sunny, light northwest wind, freezing level climbing to 1800 m in the afternoon, alpine high temperatures around -1 C.
SATURDAY: Increasing cloud with light flurries in the afternoon, trace amounts of new snow, light northeast wind, freezing level climbing to 1500 m in the afternoon, alpine high temperatures around -3 C.
SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light wind, freezing level climbing to 1500 m in the afternoon, alpine high temperatures around -3 C.
Avalanche Summary
Warm sunny weather over the past few days has resulted in several wet loose avalanches on south-facing slopes across the region (see a photo in this MIN report). Large glide slab releases have been reported around the Coquihalla.
Looking forward, daily warming will cause more wet loose avalanches and potentially weaken cornices. If you decide to travel in the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN) to supplement our data stream as operators are shutting down. Even just a photo of what the day looked like would be helpful.
Snowpack Summary
Surface conditions are highly variable with a mix of crusts, moist snow, hard wind slabs, and soft faceted snow. The surface will become moist on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations throughout the day. Northern parts of the region (e.g.. Duffey/Hurley/Gold Bridge) have had a deep instability lingering at the base of the snowpack for most of the season. This layer has gained strength over the past month (the last reported avalanche was on Feb 17), but it is still worth considering this layer when assessing shallow rocky slopes in this part of the region.
Terrain and Travel
- Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
- Use caution on large alpine slopes, especially around thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilities.
Problems
Loose Wet
Sunny weather will cause wet loose avalanches on steep sun-exposed slopes. It could also weaken cornices.
Aspects: South East, South, South West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 20th, 2020 4:00PM
