Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 10th, 2019 8:00AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Dry.

mark herbison, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Pockets of wind slab exists in the alpine. Expect sluffing in steep terrain to travel fast and far.Good snow quality exists at tree line and above.

Summary

Weather Forecast

A mix of sun and cloud for the day. The alpine with reach -11 with light ridgetop winds from the Southwest. Freezing level will hovering around 800m. Snow and increasing winds arriving Monday and lasting through Wednesday with 15-25cm of snow forecasted.

Snowpack Summary

~30cm of recent snow covers 20-30cm of facets and/or sun crusts up to 3cm thick. Recent moderate southerly winds have deposited isolated pockets of wind slab along ridge lines and cross loaded features. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed along the highway corridor yesterday. Reports of natural loose dry avalanches up to sz 1.5 and skier triggered sz 1 sluffing in steep terrain (40 degree+) from the backcountry.

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

30cm of recent snow and moderate Southerly winds have formed wind slabs along lee and cross loaded features. The slabs may be overlying weak faceted snow so watch for shooting cracks, settlements and hollow sounds from the snowpack.

Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, West, North West.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Loose Dry

The recent snow is not likely to bond well to crusts and facets and should be a concern if considering riding steep faces or traveling in confined chutes, manage your sluff. If the sun shines today watch for point releases from steep, rocky areas.

Recent snow may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar aspects where it sits on sun crustBe cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Mar 11th, 2019 8:00AM