Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 26th, 2020 8:00AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs.
andrew jones,
Parks Canada
More snow load is being added to the February 22nd persistent weak layer and a soft slab is developing. Conservative travel practices are crucial during this time of increasing avalanche hazard.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and trace amounts of accumulation. The freezing level will climb to 1400m with an alpine high of -7 C. Ridge winds will be SW 20km/h with gusts to 45km/h.
A frontal system moves into the region on Thursday and is expected to bring 5-10cm of new snow. On Saturday a larger Pacific low arrives with up to 16cm.
Snowpack Summary
The February 22nd surface hoar layer is now buried 35-40cm. This layer is widespread up to 2300m. On solar aspects the surface hoar sits atop a crust. The surface snow is beginning to gain cohesion above this weak layer and in many places a soft slab had now formed. Incremental loading through February has created an otherwise benign mid-pack.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed in the highway corridor. A field team in the Illecillewaet drainage remotely triggered a small size 1.0 from 100m away on a steep S aspect that ran on a buried sun crust down 15cm.
Confidence
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Feb 22 surface hoar is a persistent weak layer down 30-40cm and overlies a thick crust on solar aspects. This layer is easily triggered where soft slabs have formed. Ongoing precipitation, wind and rising temperatures will increase slab properties.
- Convex features and steep unsupported slopes will be most prone to triggering.
- Watch for surface cracking and stiffer surface layers of snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 27th, 2020 8:00AM
