Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 4th, 2022 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Persistent Slabs.

Snow Safety,

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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

An icon showing 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

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2.5

Valid until: Mar 5th, 2022 4:00PM

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