Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 9th, 2014 8:00AM

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

catherine brown, Parks Canada

Glacier.

With current large natural avalanches running, heavy warm/moist storm snow and restricted access, today might be better spent at the local resorts.

Summary

Weather Forecast

A pacific frontal system will bring moderate snow today with freezing levels rising to 1500m and strong SW ridge top winds. Freezing levels will fall slightly as precipitation tapers out tonight and into Monday. With a dry day forecast for Tuesday as a high pressure ridge builds in from the west.

Snowpack Summary

30cm/30mm of precip have fallen in the last 24 hrs with mild temperatures. This builds the storm slab to around 80 cm, sitting over lighter, cooler snow. This lies on top of suncrusts and windslab. The new slab is failing with easy to moderate results within the new snow, as well as at the old interface. The Jan 28/Feb 10 PWL is down 1.5-2m.

Avalanche Summary

We have the start of an natural avalanche cycle early this morning, which will continue today. Several size 2-3 natural avalanches were observed along the highway corridor as alpine wind speeds pick up. Reports indicate that the storm slab is reactive to skier triggering on steep, convex features with remote triggering a possibility.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

Problems

Storm Slabs

80 to 100 cm of warm/moist snow has formed a rider triggerable slab. We are currently seeing natural avalanches in the storm snow, some running to end of runnouts. Minimize your exposure today by skiing in mature forest.

Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Persistent Slabs

A deep weak layer buried at the end of January is down 1.8 to 2 m. Smaller avalanches could step down and trigger as large, high consequence avalanche on this layer.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

3 - 4

Valid until: Mar 10th, 2014 8:00AM