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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 18th, 2014–Apr 19th, 2014

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

Freezing levels could climb to as high as 2500 m over the weekend.  Watch for increased loose snow avalanches with wind gusts and solar affect. 

Get a very early start - Best skiing will be above treeline on North aspects.

Weather Forecast

Freezing levels to valley bottom tonight, mainly cloudy & clearing by morning.  Expect clear skies Saturday morning, winds will be gusty, with convective flurries in the afternoon.  Freezing levels on Saturday night rise to 2500 m.  Sunday morning, some sunny breaks, gusty wind through the day, and afternoon cloud build up.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 30 cm so far, snow will taper off this evening. A supportive melt-freeze crust exists on all aspects to 2100m & higher on S and W aspects. The basal layer may become more active over the coming days with intense solar radiation or warming temps or if you trigger the weak spot, as demonstrated 2 days ago on Mt. Whymper, (see avalanche table).

Avalanche Summary

Earlier this week a there was a size 3.5 skier remote avalanche on the basal facets on Mt. Whymper. The group heard a whumph and 30 seconds later the slide released taking out the whole slope the party had just climbed up from 70m away. Picture.Today - only loose sloughing off cliff features and a size 2 on a W aspect, from rocks, along Hwy 93N.

Confidence

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.