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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 21st, 2019–Apr 22nd, 2019

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Forecast high freezing levels overnight means the hazard may elevate quickly if the sun comes out on Monday.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

SUNDAY NIGHT: Clear / Light, southwesterly winds / Alpine low 4 C / Freezing level 2400 m.

MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Moderate, southwesterly winds / Alpine high 7 C / Freezing level 2500 m.

TUESDAY: Rain to mountain-tops; 5-10 mm. / Moderate, southwesterly winds / Alpine high 7 C / Freezing level 2500 m.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny / Light, westerly winds / Alpine high 6 C / Freezing level 2400 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday, natural and skier triggered loose wet avalanches to size 1.5 were reported on all aspects at treeline and above.

On Tuesday, a party skiing near Kootenay Pass reported "whumphing" on solar aspects near ridgetops and triggered a size 2 storm slab avalanche sitting on a crust on a north aspect at around 2000 m. See the MIN report HERE.

Snowpack Summary

Rain to mountain-tops Thursday night soaked 20-40 cm of recent snow and initiated a loose wet avalanche cycle at treeline and above on Friday. Below treeline, the snow is isothermal (0 C throughout the snowpack) and disappearing rapidly.

As temperatures cool, we will enter a diurnal cycle during which the hazard will be low in the mornings, if there was a strong overnight freeze, and elevate throughout the day depending on warming and solar radiation. Hazard ratings are for the peak hazard expected during each day.

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.