Heating has weakened the snowpack and our ice climbs as well. The Akamina Parkway was closed at 8 AM Sunday morning as falling ice blocked the road. TH
Weather Forecast
Heating Saturday and Sunday will likely prove to have provided the greatest shock to the snowpack however an increase in the freezing levels and temperatures appears to be in the cards for Monday and is cause for continued concern. Winds should peak Sunday afternoon however little snow remains available for transport. Cooling begins Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
A strong chinook has brought light amounts of rain, strong winds, and very warm temperatures to the divide and created crusts to around 19000m. Clear skies allowed a strong solar input Saturday creating loose snow avalanches and strong crusts on steep south slopes. TL and above prominent windslabs have formed on N and E lee features.
Avalanche Summary
A significant solar cycle occurred Saturday with loose wet sluffs initiating at treeline elevations and triggering recent windslabs, persistent slab, and basal facets in thin snowpack areas to size 2.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain
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.
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.
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.