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

Mar 16th, 2021–Mar 17th, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

South Coast.

Cornices are large and could fail under the weight of a human. Wind slabs may linger at high elevations.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

TUESDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds, 10 to 20 km/h south wind, treeline temperature -1 C, freezing level 1400 m.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, 20 to 30 km/h south wind, treeline temperature 0 C, freezing level 1500 m.

THURSDAY: Cloudy with rain switching to snow, accumulation 10 cm, 40 to 60 km/h south wind, treeline temperature 0 C, freezing level 1700 m dropping to 1200 m.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 50 to 80 cm, 60 km/h south wind, treeline temperature -2 C, freezing level 1000 m.

Avalanche Summary

We haven't received any reports of recent avalanche activity. Looking forward, wind slabs could still be triggered by riders near the mountain tops. Cornices can always be triggered by humans or naturally.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs may linger in steep, lee terrain features near the mountain tops from Sunday's 20 cm of snow with strong south to east wind. Elsewhere, the snow is expected to be a hard melt-freeze crust, which may weaken into moist snow during daytime warming. Along ridgelines, cornices are large and always have the potential of failing or being triggered from the weight of a human.

Terrain and Travel

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
  • Extra caution is needed around cornices under the current conditions.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

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.

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.