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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 8th, 2021–Mar 9th, 2021

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Isolated pockets of wind slabs are the primary concern. Also give a wide berth to large and looming cornices and avoid sun-exposed slopes during the heat of the day.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy, 10 km/h south wind, alpine temperature -8 C.

TUESDAY: Clear skies, 20 to 40 km/h northwest wind, alpine temperature -9 C.

WEDNESDAY: Clear skies, 20 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -11 C.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with intermittent snowfall, 30 km/h west wind, alpine temperature -10 C.

Avalanche Summary

One natural avalanche was observed out of a steep, shallow, and rocky slope on a south aspect in the north of the region on Sunday. Otherwise, some loose wet avalanches were observed out of steep, south-facing terrain below treeline.

Snowpack Summary

Alpine terrain is heavily wind affected, with windward slopes being scoured and leeward slopes holding wind slabs. Treeline elevations may have around 20 cm of settled snow and perhaps moist snow or a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects. Below treeline, the snow surface is expected to moisten during the day below the freezing level and freeze into a melt-freeze crust at night.

Around 60 to 90 cm of snow sits on a variety of old snow interfaces consisting of hard wind-affected snow in exposed terrain and weak faceted snow or possibly feathery surface hoar crystals in sheltered terrain. There has not been avalanche activity on these layers observed in the past week.

Faceted snow at the base of the snowpack exists in much of the region.

Terrain and Travel

  • Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
  • Avoid exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.

Problems

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.