Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Apr 26th, 2017 4:00PM
The alpine rating is Cornices, Deep Persistent Slabs and Loose Dry.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeThe big hazards right now are cornices and solar warming. These have a chance of waking up the basal weakness and causing a large avalanche if they happen. Otherwise, watch for sluffing in steeper terrain and enjoy the awesome skiing!
Summary
Weather Forecast
Temperatures will remain cool and winds will remain light for the next three days. We should see 5 - 10 cm on Thursday and a few more centimeters on Friday. A ridge is moving in Friday night and Saturday should see drier and sunnier conditions.
Snowpack Summary
Mondays storm brought 10-20 cm below treeline and 30-40 cm in the alpine with light winds. This sits on melt freeze crusts on solar aspects and below 2500m on polar aspects. A surface crust formed to ~1800m on polar aspects on Wed and higher on solar aspects. The basal weakness has been dormant, but will wake up with solar warming or cornice drops.
Avalanche Summary
Some small loose dry sluffing was observed out of steep terrain during brief periods of sun on Wednesday morning. Otherwise, no new avalanches observed or reported.
Confidence
Problems
Cornices
Cornices continue to fail. Minimize your time underneath these and remember that a cornice failure could also trigger the deep persistent slab on the basal facets.
- Cornices become weak with daytime heating, so travel early on exposed slopes.
- Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
The snowpack is gaining strength, but the weak basal facets continue to produce sudden collapse results and can produce large avalanches with large triggers or heat. Stick to planar, supported slopes with a deeper snowpack when entering steep terrain
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger the deep persistent slab.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
20 - 40cm of new snow Monday night has had little inputs from wind, sun or warming temperatures at higher elevations. This loose dry snow will sluff easily in steep terrain when the sun comes out or the wind picks up.
- On steep slopes, pull over periodically or cut into a new line to manage sluffing.
- Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 27th, 2017 4:00PM