Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Glacier.
It's still winter up high. This means good skiing on some slopes, and triggerable windslabs on others. Exercise extra caution where you're punching through stiffened surface snow.
Weather Forecast
A weak low to the South stirs things up a bit Friday, then it's back to high pressure.
Tonight: Mainly cloudy. Alpine Low -14 C.
Friday: Sunny periods/isolated flurries. High -8 C. Freezing level (FZL) 1100m. Light E ridgetop wind.
Sat: Mainly sunny. Low -11 C, High -6 C. FZL 1400m. Light E wind.
Sun: Mixed sun/cloud. Low -9 C, High -5 C. FZL 1500m.
Snowpack Summary
Wind effect in the alpine and at treeline from variable winds, has left behind wind slabs in many open terrain features, and scoured the new snow off of ridge crests. Settled powder can however still be found on sheltered alpine slopes. Below treeline the spring snowpack is currently locked in by a supportive melt-freeze crust.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches in the HWY corridor.
On Wednesday, there was a size 3 cornice fall off of Mt Bonney (triggered by a skier on belay), and skier remote size 1 near the Asulkan.
On Tuesday a group triggered several size 1 wind slabs in the Ravens.
And on Monday, there was a close call when a small wind slab nearly took a skier into a crevasse!
Confidence
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Variable strong winds deposited wind slabs in isolated areas on all aspects.
These were triggered by several groups of skiers early in the week (see avalanche activity discussion/MIN).
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where small avalanches may have severe consequences.
- Identify safe zones prior to entering a slope.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Cornices
Cornices are LARGE this time of year and becoming brittle with cold temperatures.
On Wednesday, a skier using a roped belay, triggered a large cornice on Mt Bonney that resulted in a size 3 avalanche!
- Minimize exposure to corniced features.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3