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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 12th, 2025–Mar 13th, 2025

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

Regions

Glacier.

The storm slab continues to build on Thursday with new snow and strong winds in the forecast.

Human triggered avalanches remain likely. Choose conservative, low consequence terrain and give the storm snow more time to settle.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Natural activity is starting to taper off but human triggering remains likely.

Large avalanche debris and fracture lines from last weekend are still easy to see. The natural avalanche cycle had avalanches up to size 4, running full path.

A group up the Asulkan Valley triggered a size 2 avalanche Sunday, which partially buried one of their party members.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 80cm of new snow since Saturday with periods of strong to extreme SW winds has formed a widespread storm slab at all elevation bands. This slab is bonding poorly to our previous drought layer of old breakable crust & widespread surface hoar. This interface is reactive in snowpack testing & could easily be human triggered.

Two persistent weak layers (PWL) from Jan/Feb are now buried well over a meter. Large triggers such as storm slab avalanches may step-down to this layer

Weather Summary

Another frontal system will bring more snow to the region on Thursday.

Tonight Scattered flurries, Snow: 5 cms. Ridge wind S 20-35 km/h. Freezing level (FZL) 1200m.

Thurs Periods of snow, 15cm. Alp high -2. Ridge wind SW 20 gusting 50 km/hr. FZL 1700m.

Fri Cloudy with sunny periods & isolated flurries. Alpine high -10. Ridge wind SW 20km/hr. FZL 900m.

Sat Flurries, ~5cm. Alp high -7°C. Ridge wind S 10-25. FZL 1700m.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for larger than expected storm slabs due to buried surface hoar.
  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.