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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 26th, 2021–Mar 27th, 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, 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

Kootenay Boundary.

The freezing level will gradually climb over the next few days. Keep an eye on steep slopes facing the sun if the sun pokes through. Lingering wind slabs at upper elevations are still a concern.

Confidence

High - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY Night: Cloudy with clear periods, light to moderate northwest and west wind, treeline temperatures -1 C, freezing level 1700 m.

SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy with sunny breaks, moderate southwest wind, treeline temperature 0 C, freezing level 1800 m.

SUNDAY: Cloudy with flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm, moderate to strong southwest wind, treeline temperatures around -1 C, freezing level 1700 m

MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate northwest wind, treeline temperatures around -5 C, freezing level 1000 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday there were a few reports of human triggered thin storm slab avalanches to size 1.5 on north and south aspects around 2200 m.

Looking forward, wind slabs could still be triggered at higher elevations. Keep your eye out for the sun, as sun-exposed slopes could rapidly deteriorate when the sun pokes through the clouds.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 20 cm of snow accumulated through the week. This overlies a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects, perhaps small surface hoar crystals on shaded aspects, and otherwise 20 cm of snow from the weekend. This recent snow has generally been stabilizing, but there could be some wind slabs that linger at higher elevations. All of this recent snow sits above a widespread crust, with the exception of high north-facing terrain. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.

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.