Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 8th, 2018 4:36PM

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

jsmith, Avalanche Canada

Lizard-Flathead.

Fresh storm slabs are expected to be reactive to human triggers on Friday, especially in wind-affected terrain.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Weather Forecast

THURSDAY NIGHT: 10-15 cm new snow / Strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 1500 m.FRIDAY: 5-15 cm of new snow / Strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 1500 m.SATURDAY: Mostly sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1800 m.SUNDAY: Mostly sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2000 m.

Avalanche Summary

Explosive control work near Fernie on Wednesday produced small slab avalanches up to size 1.5. Failing cornices also triggered size 2 slab avalanches on northerly aspects. Thursday's storm is expected to create touchy storm slabs reactive to human triggers.

Snowpack Summary

10-15 cm of new snow on Thursday is sitting on a sun crust on solar aspects.In the upper to mid snowpack, a surface hoar layer buried mid-February is now 80 to 100 cm below the surface on sheltered northerly aspects. Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December and late November weak layers are composed of a combination of crusts and sugary facets which are down 200-300 cm.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Fresh storm slabs are expected to be reactive to human triggers on Friday.

Avoid terrain traps where small avalanches can have high consequence.Use small slopes with low or no consequence to test the bond of the new snow.Use caution when transitioning into wind effected terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 9th, 2018 2:00PM