Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 16th, 2024–Mar 17th, 2024

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Lizard-Flathead, South Rockies, Akamina, Flathead, Lizard, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

⚠️ Avoid All avalanche terrain ⚠️Soaring freezing levels and solar radiation will result in a widespread natural avalanche cycle on Sunday.

Check out our latest blog.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Numerous naturally triggered wet loose and persistent slab avalanches up to size 3(very large) were reported on all aspects at treeline and above on Friday.

Very large, natural avalanches are expected to continue to occur on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

High freezing levels overnight will result in no overnight re-freeze of the snow surface. As a result, the avalanche danger will rise rapidly throughout the day.

Cornices are currently large and looming, and will become more unstable during periods of warming. See photo below.

80-150 cm below the snow surface, a widespread crust with weak facets overtop remains a concern for human triggering.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Clear skies. 10 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 5 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.

Sunday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 10 °C. Freezing level 3500 m.

Monday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 8 °C. Freezing level 3000 m.

Tuesday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 7 °C. Freezing level 2700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of intense solar radiation.
Only the most simple non-avalanche terrain free of overhead hazard is appropriate at this time.
If triggered loose wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
Cornice failure may trigger large avalanches.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.