Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Apr 2 – 3, 2017Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Snowfall amounts are variable and uncertain for Sunday night. Watch for wind slabs at higher elevations.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Wind slabs may continue to be triggered at higher elevations.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–4
    A heavy trigger such as a cornice fall or smaller avalanche could trigger a deeper persistent slab avalanches, especially when the snow warms up later this week.

Confidence

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Monday

Weather Forecast

SUNDAY NIGHT: Unstable weather will bring spotty precipitation with 0-20 cm of snow possible, gusty winds, and freezing level dropping to the valley. MONDAY: Cloudy with some lingering flurries in the morning then clearing in the afternoon, light north winds, freezing level climbing to 1600 m.TUESDAY: Sunny, moderate west wind, freezing level up to 2000 m after an overnight freeze.WEDNESDAY: Sunny with patchy clouds, moderate west winds, freezing level climbing to 2500 m with little overnight freeze.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported. On Friday, there were numerous loose wet avalanches up to size 2 at all elevations on solar exposed aspects in the north Elk Valley area.On Monday, fresh storm slabs are the primary concern. Deep persistent slabs will become a growing concern throughout the week as temperatures warm up.

Snowpack Summary

Expect a wide range of new snow amounts on Monday morning. The new snow will sit above a mixture of crusts and moist snow surfaces that formed with the recent warm temperatures and solar radiation. Wind slabs are a possible at higher elevations, where the warming effect has been less dramatic. The bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets and full-depth avalanches over this basal weakness remain a concern, and may be triggered by large loads like cornice falls, or strong solar radiation on a clear day.

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