Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 7th, 2024–Feb 8th, 2024

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

Regions

Glacier.

Expect loose dry sluffing of new snow in steep terrain and running fast where a crust is present.

Good skiing in the alpine rapidly deteriorate below 2000m with moist snow and rugged terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Midday on Wednesday, a cycle of natural and skier triggered loose dry avalanches were observed in the Connaught valley.

A group bootpacking a couloir on the S side of Avalanche Mtn triggered a sz 2.5-3 avalanche yesterday. Use caution in this extreme terrain, where the snowpack might be variable and weak.

Spring-like temperatures and rain last week triggered a widespread avalanche cycle. Many avalanches gouged to ground in gully features and reached the valley floor.

Snowpack Summary

15-20cm of new snow sits over a robust crust that formed during recent warm weather. This crust has been observed up to 2500.

Warm temperatures have rounded and strengthened the mid and lower snowpack.

Be prepared for challenging travel over refrozen avalanche debris and shallow snowpack hazards at and below Tree-line. The snowpack is approximately 20cm below the previous record low.

Weather Summary

Expect flurries and cooling temps over the next 3 days, with a bit of a clearing trend on Friday.

Tonight: Cloudy/flurries, Trace amounts, Alp low -9°C, light winds, Freezing Level (FZL) 900m.

Thurs: Cloudy, isolated flurries, trace amounts, Alp high -8°C, light W winds, FZL 1100m.

Fri: Sun/cloud, Alp high -12°C, light W winds, FZL 700m.

Sat: Cloudy/flurries, trace amounts, Alp high -9°C, light W winds, FZL 1000m.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Be cautious of buried obstacles especially below treeline.

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.