Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 30th, 2015 8:03AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is considerable. Known problems include Persistent Slabs, Storm Slabs and Loose Wet.

jon schleiss, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Recent rain and wet snow will de-stabilize the snow pack. Use caution in avalanche terrain today.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Mainly cloudy with isolated wet flurries. Freeze line to rise to 2400m and alpine temperatures of plus 3 degrees and warm gusty winds gusting to 50kph. Tuesday we can expect periods of snow at higher elevations with up to 14cm. Freeze lines are forecast to be at 2000m and this snow could be quite heavy. Midweek will be sunny and cooler temperatures

Snowpack Summary

17mm of precipitation in the last 24 hours at 2000m has produced only 12cm of new snow. This wet new snow is sitting on numerous layers of stacked moist and wet snow down to at least 70cm at tree line. Expect this recent storm snow over the persistent weak layers in the top 1.5m to be reactive to human triggers.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous loose wet avalanches observed in the highway corridor yesterday ranging in size 1.5 to 2.5.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Recent and forecast precipitation should be enough to overload instabilities within our snowpack. A number of weak layers reside in the top 1.5m and were triggerable by people in the back country last week even without this new load.

If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 4

Storm Slabs

Up to 40cm of recent snow in the Alpine over lying a number of crusts and wet layers which were reactive to riders throughout the area. Tread cautiously in the upper elevations where recent precipitation fell as snow.

Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Wet

More light rain is expected throughout today as freezing levels rise to near 2400m.

he snowpack will deteriorate in the afternoon.Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 31st, 2015 8:00AM