Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 15th, 2020 5:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
MBender,
Avalanche Canada
Expect an upward swing in temperatures as the freezing level rises on Monday. Be especially cautious underneath steep sun exposed slopes and around rock outcrops.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Uncertainty is due to how the snowpack will react to the forecast weather.
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mainly clear, light northeast wind, alpine temperature -8 C.
MONDAY: Clear skies, light north wind, alpine temperature -6 C, freezing level 1200 m.
TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -7 C, freezing level 1000 m.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level 900 m.
Avalanche Summary
Recent avalanche activity includes reports of a few natural wind slab avalanches to size 2 in the alpine on northerly aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate to strong northeast wind has redistributed snow and formed wind slabs at all elevations.Â
A weak layer of surface hoar buried at the end of February may be found 50-100 cm deep. Sheltered north, northeast, and east facing slopes near treeline are the most likely locations to find this layer. Reports indicate that this layer may be absent in the northern tip of the region.
There is a low likelihood of triggering an avalanche on this layer, but the consequences of doing so would be high. Read more about surface hoar on our forecaster blog.
Terrain and Travel
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
- Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
- Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of buried surface hoar.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Moderate to strong northeast wind formed wind slabs in the alpine and at treeline which might be reactive to human triggering.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
A weak layer of surface hoar is buried 50-100 cm deep. Past observations indicate the problem is most likely to be found on north, northeast, and east aspects near treeline. This problem has been observed in all but the northern tip of the region, where there is uncertainty around the distribution of this layer.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 16th, 2020 5:00PM
