Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 13th, 2022 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Dry.

Tereza Turecka,

Email

Up to 30 cm of new snow forecasted by Tuesday night. It is uncertain how well the storm snow is going to bond to old surfaces.Of most concern are alpine lee slopes and steep solar terrain at tree line and below.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Saturday night will be cloudy, flurries, -8C, and light winds. Sunday will have more intense flurries, potentially 7cm of snow, -4C, 1700m freezing level, and light ridge winds. Monday will bring 10cm of snow, -7C, light gusting strong Southwest winds, and freezing level 1600m. Expect scattered flurries and 4cm of snow on Tuesday.

Snowpack Summary

Sheltered areas tree line and below hold 10-20cm of soft snow over top a strong settled mid pack. Alpine snow has been sculpted by previous winds and presents as a variety of surfaces . A temperature crust down 10-30cm is decomposing and generally below 2300m on steep solar aspects. A facet and depth hoar layer is at the bottom of the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity observed on Sunday. On Saturday, one steep loose surface slide was noted in the Mt. Cromwell area at treeline on a due East aspect. It started as a point and gained enough mass by the bottom to be a size 2. Also a small wet loose slides were noted near Weeping Wall. Both likely initiated by a brief spike in solar input.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Monday

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

Previous variable winds in the alpine has sculpted much of the terrain particularly where slopes present to the wind. Investigate any large slope before committing.

  • Use caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Dry

An icon showing Loose Dry

There was an increase in activity of this nature on due East and West aspects as the sun made a brief appearance on Saturday. They gained enough mass by the bottom to be a concern for someone in a terrain trap. Watch for sluffs while skiing.

  • Be careful of loose dry power sluffing in steep terrain.

Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 14th, 2022 4:00PM