Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 4th, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeSnow Safety,
The persistent layer continues to be a concern, few avalanches have been reported from this interface but the potential consequences are high. LB
Summary
Weather Forecast
Relatively benign weather over the next few days, we will see temperatures varying from -15 to -5 with light to moderate winds. Some sporadic snowfall with small amounts expected.
Snowpack Summary
5-10 cm of new snow overlies a melt freeze crust from Thursdays warming, this crust can be found up to 1900m on solar aspects. Above 1900m, 40 cm of previous storm snow has solidified into a slab overlying a suncrust buried on February 16. This combination should now be watched closely, as it produces whumphs and tests indicate propagation.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed or reported today, but whumphs (unstable snow) observed on Hawk Ridge in Kootenay Park on Thursday. On Wednesday in Kananaskis Country, a size 2.5 skier remote slab 40 cm deep was triggered on a SE aspect at 2500 m (ran on the Feb. 16 crust).
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Persistent Slabs
This is an emerging problem with enough accumulated snow forming a slab on top of the Feb. 16 crust. Be very careful on treeline and alpine slopes that face east, south and west. It's easy to dig down 40 cm and look for the layer too.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 5th, 2022 4:00PM