It's the end of the season, for our forecasts and for what remains of the snowpack...
Watch for overhanging cornices, and changing surface conditions on warm and sunny days.
Summary
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported this week. Evidence of cornice failures was reported on Thursday. While they didn't trigger an avalanche on the slope below they are hazardous on their own.
Looking forward cornice falls remain possible, and wet avalanches are a concern on steep slopes on sunny and warm days like Sunday and Monday.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack has continued to shrink from rain and mild temperatures. Some eastern faces in the Tablelands remain above threshold (for riding and avalanche activity). A weak crust likely sits at the surface with partially refrozen snow below. Weakened cornices sit above north and east facing terrain features. Check out the photos below from Friday.
Southern terrain including the Lewis Hills holds only bare rock or very minimal amounts of remaining snow, well below threshold for riding.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with 30 km/h northeast winds. Freezing levels drop to sea level. No precipitation expected.
Sunday
Sunny with 20-30 km/h northeast ridgetop winds. No precipitation expected. Freezing levels rise to 600 m. Alpine temperatures reach +2 C.
Monday
Sunny with increasing afternoon cloud. 20-30 km/h northwest ridgetop winds. No precipitation expected. Freezing levels rise to 500 m. Alpine temperatures reach +1 C.
Tuesday
Cloudy. 50 km/h northeast ridgetop winds. Up to 5 cm of snow possible. Freezing levels rise to 300 m. Alpine temperatures around -1 C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
- If it's deep enough to ride, it's deep enough to slide (avalanche).
- A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
Problems
Cornices
Use caution travelling near cornices, on ridgelines and on the slope below. Cornice falls are unpredictable.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Wet
Wet loose avalanches are most likely on steep sun affected slopes. Keep an eye on surface conditions and back off these slopes when they become moist or wet.
Aspects: East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 9th, 2024 11:30AM
