Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Feb 17th, 2019–Feb 18th, 2019

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Regions: Glacier.

Loose dry avalanches have enough punch to knock people around in steep terrain. Be cautious of sluffing if you're thinking about hitting big terrain, like on Tupper and Macdonald.

Weather Forecast

Back to the cold weather. Sunny with scattered cloud today, alpine high of -16*C, and light to moderate reverse winds out of the NE. More of the same for Monday and Tuesday, with cold temp's, mix of sun and cloud, and light ridge-top winds

Snowpack Summary

A dusting of new snow covers hard wind slabs and scoured surfaces in the alpine and exposed areas at tree line. Cold temperatures have created a weak and faceted upper snowpack. Wind slabs have been most reactive on solar aspects where crusts are buried. The Jan 17 surface hoar is down 50-70cm at TL and below.

Avalanche Summary

A natural loose, dry size 2.0 avalanche hit a party of 3 people on Single Bench on Mt Tupper. Two were caught and went 250 and 600m respectively. One person sustained a broken arm. See MIN. Several loose, dry to sz 2.5 were observed from Macdonald Gullies 6, 9, and 10.

Confidence

Avalanche Problems

Wind Slabs

Ongoing winds have hammered the alpine and exposed areas at tree line, making for challenging travel conditions. Slabs vary from hard and supportive to pockets of wind-loaded facets. At lower elevations slabs could propagate on buried surface hoar.

If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood: Possible

Expected Size: 1 - 2

Loose Dry

15cm of new snow and surface facets are sluffing fast in steep alpine terrain. Be very cautious of being hit by these loose avalanches while moving in gullies and confined terrain. Sun-warmed cliffs can shed snow quickly, triggered loose avalanches.

Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood: Possible

Expected Size: 1 - 2