Avalanche forecast

South Coast Inland

Mar 15, 2019Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Watch for wind slabs in exposed features which likely remain sensitive to human triggering. The strong spring sun could easily produce loose wet avalanches on unshaded slopes Friday, especially in the afternoon.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Winds shifted to the north at the end of the last storm, building wind slabs on south-facing slopes. These wind slabs likely remain susceptible to human triggering and the increasingly strong spring sun is capable of producing natural avalanches too.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Loose wet activity will probably be limited to solar aspects Friday, but even brief periods of sun could produce loose wet avalanches surprisingly quickly. This activity is expected to pick up as temperatures continue to warm this weekend.

Confidence

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Friday

Weather Forecast

Friday offers one last day of temperatures on the cool side before the heat really comes on for the first time this season. THURSDAY NIGHT: Freezing level near valley bottom, moderate to strong wind generally out of the west with periods of northwest and southwest mixed in for good measure, no significant precipitation expected.FRIDAY: Broken cloud cover, freezing level rising to 1600 m, light to moderate west/southwest wind, no precipitation expected.SATURDAY: Broken cloud cover, freezing level rising to 1800 m, light to moderate west/southwest wind, no significant precipitation expected.SUNDAY: A few clouds, freezing level approaching 2500 m, light variable wind, no precipitation expected.

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday a skier remote triggered a size 2 wind slab on a northeast facing alpine slope at 2000 m with a crown 40 cm in depth. There are some great photos in this MIN of a size 2.5 wind slab that was skier triggered on a north facing slope on the Slalok/Matier Glacier.  As we enter a period that looks to be increasingly warm it's worth reminding ourselves that glide cracks are to be avoided at all costs. They're incredibly unpredictable and when they fail, they often fail big as indicated in this great MIN report.This avalanche was reported from the Duffey Lake area on Tuesday. It indicates the nature of the bond between the recent storm snow and old surfaces below may be poor. Most other recent reports from this region have been of small loose snow avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

Light amounts of new snow have been redistributed by southwesterly and northerly winds, potentially creating some unusual wind slabs, including on south-facing slopes. Beneath this recent snow you may find hard wind-affected snow at higher elevations, soft and faceted snow in shaded and sheltered areas, and melt-freeze crusts on southerly slopes. The middle and lower snowpack is generally well-settled. 

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