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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 28th, 2019–Jan 30th, 2019

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Vancouver Island.

Confidence

High - Stable high pressure.

Travel & Terrain Advice

Use caution on steep solar aspects in the alpine and upper treeline. Avoid cornices and the slopes below them. Use sunscreen.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed or reported. Some minor loose wet activity from steep rocky terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Little change in the snow pack. All aspects becoming moist in the afternoon above treeline while some surface hoar lingers below treeline in protected terrain. Upper snow pack dense and settling on top of a thick old buried crust. Well settled and dense below.

Snowpack Details

Surface: Moist above treeline and some surface hoar below treeline. Upper: Well settled old storm snow on a thick old crust. Mid: Well settled. Lower: Well settled and dense.

Past Weather

Inverted with light winds and temperatures approaching double digits in the afternoon in the alpine. Fog bands at below treeline elevations.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY: No precipitation, freezing levels to 2500 m. Light variable winds. TUESDAY: No precipitation, freezing levels to 2500 m. Light NE to SE winds. WEDNESDAY: 0-3 mm of precipitation, freezing levels to 2200. Light SE - S winds.

Problems

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.

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.