Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 26th, 2014–Apr 27th, 2014

Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

South Rockies.

We are no longer issuing danger ratings for this region due to a lack of field data.Check out this video and blog post for more insight into managing the current condition.

Weather Forecast

Synopsis: The weather pattern should remain cool and unsettled through the weekend. Expect periods of light to moderate precipitation mixed with sunny breaks most days. Freezing levels should climb to 1800-2000 m each day and rebound to around 1500 m overnight. Ridgetop winds are generally light to moderate from the southwest. It looks like a building ridge of high pressure could bring drier and much warmer conditions early next week.

Avalanche Summary

There are no recent reports of avalanche activity from the region. It's likely that any recent activity is a result of daytime warming, solar radiation , and/or periods of rain. We should see a return of warm sunny weather next week. When this happens expect a spike in loose wet activity, cornice releases, and sporadic deep slab avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

This is a broad general summary of conditions in the region based solely on recent weather data and previous snowpack information. It should be supplemented with local observations to help assess avalanche danger. Please refer to this document for additional snow and avalanche information and general travel advice.Over the past week we have seen light precipitation with a snow line somewhere around 1800 m (+/- 200 m). My best guess is that stubborn wind slabs exist in high north-facing terrain while warm temperatures and solar radiation may have created moist surfaces everywhere else. If there is a good overnight freeze these surfaces will form a hard crust. The deep facet/crust persistent weakness buried at the beginning of February (now down up to 80-100+ cm) should stay on your radar, especially on all alpine slopes during sunny periods. Any activity at this interface would be large and destructive. Also, give large sagging cornices a wide berth when traveling on or below corniced ridges.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.