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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2024–Apr 6th, 2024

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, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

North Rockies, Sugarbowl, East Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Tumbler.

Low snow and a firm crust have made travel challenging at lower elevations. At higher elevations, avoid wind-loaded areas and dial back your terrain choices if you find signs of instability.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Challenging travel at low elevations has limited access to the mountains in many areas and no new avalanches have been reported.

If you are getting out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by making a post on the MIN (Mountain Information Network). 🙏

Snowpack Summary

At upper elevations, up to 30 cm of recent snowfall has been redeposited by strong winds. A hard crust exists on the surface on all aspects to at least 1600 m.

A layer of weak faceted snow above a hard crust formed in early February and is now buried 50 to 120 cm deep. This layer is generally getting stronger and is shielded by crusts above it. It has not produced any recent avalanches.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly clear. Ridge winds 15 to 30 km/h from the northeast. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level drops to valley bottom.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light from the northeast. Treeline temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.

Sunday

Sunny with cloudy periods. Ridge winds 15 to 40 km/h from the southwest. Treeline temperature reaches a high of 0 °C. Freezing level rises to 1800 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud with snowfall amounts near 10 cm. Ridge wind 30 to 50 km/h from the southwest. Treeline temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • A crust on the surface will help bind the snow together, but may make for tough travel conditions.

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.