Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 1st, 2015 8:00AM

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

Lydia Marmont, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Watch for hidden pockets of wind slab on Monday after getting buried by a bit of new snow Sunday evening.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Mainly cloudy today with alpine high around -6 deg. A weak low pressure system should bring up to 5cm of snow tonight. By Monday afternoon an arctic front will make it's way south bringing more sunshine, cool temperatures and light northerly wind with freezing levels staying close to valley bottom. More light snowfall is expected on Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

Surface conditions include surface hoar, faceting snow, sun crust on South aspects, wind crust, and pockets of soft snow and slab in isolated locations and hard crust bellow 2000m. Feb 18 surface hoar down 20cm, variable distribution to 2200m. Feb 14 crust down 20-25, up to 10cm thick. Persistent weak layers down 1-1.5m are stubborn to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed yesterday. Recent natural avalanche activity has been limited to small skier triggered avalanches on isolated wind slabs and sun triggered loose avalanches on steep solar aspects.

Confidence

Problems

Persistent Slabs

There are several weak layers in the snowpack that are now difficult to trigger but may result in large avalanches if they do fail. Strong solar radiation or a large cornice failures are possible triggers.

Carefully evaluate and use caution around thin snowpack areas.Conditions are greatly improved, but be mindful that deep instabilities are still present.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

3 - 4

Wind Slabs

Isolated pockets of wind slab are still reactive to skiers if you find the right spot on a lee feature with underlying crust. The 5cm of snow expected tonight will make it harder to spot a loaded feature.

Watch for areas of hard wind slab in steep alpine features.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 2nd, 2015 8:00AM