Warm temperatures and sunshine are the main drivers of avalanche hazard at the moment. Minimize your exposure to large slopes if the snowpack is becoming moist or wet.
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. The freezing level peaks near 2800 m and ridge winds are moderate from the SW. Saturday: Light showers – 3-6 mm. The freezing level is near 2000-2200 m and winds are strong from the SW. Sunday: Cloudy with sunny breaks and a chance of showers/flurries. The freezing level is around 1800-2000 m and winds remain moderate from the W-SW.
Avalanche Summary
Recent observations are limited. The only new reports are of minor loose snow sluffing out of steep terrain in the Fernie area. Light rain and warming temperatures early on Thursday could kick off a more widespread loose wet or wet slab cycle.
Snowpack Summary
Temperatures were already on the rise with light precipitation beginning early Thursday morning. This probably resulted in rain to ridgetop creating moist or wet snow at all elevations. The snow surface probably won't refreeze unless there is significant clearing overnight. The mid March rain crust is down 30-60cm and has shown a good bond with snow above. Old persistent weak layers are still intact in the mid and lower snowpack. There is potential for these layers to wake up depending on how much rain and how warm it gets. Recent cornice growth has been reported and these cornices may become fragile with warming.
Problems
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.