Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Mar 14 – 15, 2013Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–5
    Light snow and strong winds have created new wind slabs in exposed terrain.  Watch for reverse loading on Friday as outflow winds pick up. Wind slabs will be most reactive where they overlie a weak layer of buried surface hoar and or crusts.

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Synopsis:  The true pineapple breaks down Friday and a more zonal flow builds in its place.  The North Coast will see a bit more precip than the South Coast, but the amounts are still relatively dismal by coastal standards. Friday:  Freezing Level 200m. Precip: 7-12mm/10-20cm. Wind: Strong, SouthSaturday:  Freezing Level 400m.  Precip: Trace. Wind: West, Moderate gusting StrongSunday: Freezing Level surface. Precip: Trace Wind: Light, NE

Avalanche Summary

Numerous soft slabs to size 2.0 were reported from both treeline and alpine elevations Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

25 - 50cm of unconsolidated new snow is beginning to bond to a tenuous old surface which include: a crust at lower elevations and on solar aspects; old wind slabs in exposed areas, and fairly widespread large surface hoar. Moderate to locally extreme west/southwest winds have redistributed the new snow into soft and hard wind slabs in exposed terrain. This new snow is stubbornly reactive to human triggers primarily where cohesive wind slabs have formed, but reactivity is expected to become more widespread as the overlying slab develops with continued loading. Outflow winds are forecast for Friday which will likely result in some reverse loading in wind exposed terrain. The mid snowpack layers are generally well settled and strong. Facets at the base of the snowpack may resurface as a concern now that spring warming is on the doorstep and full-depth releases are becoming more likely (primarily in the northern part of the region).

Regions covered