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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2023–Apr 20th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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, Blue River, McBride, Premier, Sugarbowl, Clemina, North Monashee, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Robson, Tumbler.

Riders must manage various avalanche concerns that vary by elevation and aspect. Observe your local conditions and let that inform your terrain choices.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since last week.

Snowpack Summary

Anywhere from a trace to 50 cm of recent snow is settling and bonding at higher elevations and north-facing slopes.

On solar aspects at all elevations, and north aspects treeline and below, the recent snow either overlies a widespread melt-freeze crust or there is a crust at the surface. Watch for surface snow becoming moist in the afternoon.

The middle of the snowpack is generally well-settled and strong. A weak layer of facets at the base of the snowpack remains a concern, primarily in alpine terrain with shallow or variable (thick and thin) snowpack depths.

Weather Summary

Wednesday night

Cloudy with clear periods. A chance of flurries in the North Rockies and trace accumulation. Mostly light west ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around -5 C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Light to moderate south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around -5 C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Light south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around -5 C. Freezing level 1800 m.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Light south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around -5 C. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
  • If you are increasing your exposure to avalanche terrain, do it gradually as you gather information.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

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.