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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 23rd, 2013–Mar 24th, 2013

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

Sea To Sky.

Confidence

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

Weather Forecast

Sunday-Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud with light winds. A few flurries are possible on Tuesday. Alpine temperatures near -2, dropping during overnight periods.

Avalanche Summary

Skiers triggered size 1 and 2 slabs on convex terrain features on Friday. These were on east and north aspects at alpine and treeline elevations. They failed on crust or old hard wind slab layers. Solar warming also triggered a few small loose wet avalanches on steep sunny slopes.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs, which recently formed on a widespread basis, are becoming harder to trigger. Large cornices are looming over some slopes. On sun-baked slopes, a melt-freeze cycle is in play at the snow surface, leaving a crust behind during overnight cooling, which breaks down by day. The upper snowpack structure is highly variable. On sunny aspects (and all aspects at low elevations), a melt-freeze crust is now buried about 30 cm deep, while on high elevation shady aspects, 50-100 cm snow overlies an older melt-freeze crust. Bonding at both of these crust interfaces appears to be improving, but they are still in the back of professionals’ minds. Mid and lower snowpack layers are well bonded.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

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.