Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 23rd, 2021 4:50PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs, Loose Dry and Storm Slabs.
Brian Webster,
Pay attention to local wind effect. There is lots of snow available for transport and there have been reports of increased wind slap development in the alpine.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Wednesday will be overcast with light flurries throughout day (total accumulation at treeline ~5-10 cm). Winds will be westerly 40-60 km/h in morning and diminish throughout day. Freezing levels will rise to 16-1700m in afternoon.
Snowpack Summary
15-40 cm of snow has fallen at treeline since March 19th with variable SW-NW winds. This storm snow sits over a sun crust (up to ridge tops) on solar aspects, and over a mix of surfaces on North aspects including facets and spotty surface hoar, and over a temperature crust at lower elevations. Thin areas becoming isothermal below treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Several small natural wind slab were observed out of steep alpine terrain throughout region today. Sunshine reported skier triggered wind slabs and loose dry up to size one. One wet loose avalanche reported from Haffner Creek out of steep rocky terrain at 1800 m.
Confidence
Problems
Wind Slabs
Small isolated wind slabs can be found in lee areas of the alpine that could be triggered by skiers in steep terrain. On solar aspects these wind slabs may sit over a buried sun crust that can act as a sliding layer.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially in steep confined alpine terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
There has been enough recent snow to produce dry loose avalanches in steep gullies and couloirs over the past couple days. These could occur naturally with additional wind, or be triggered by skiers in steep terrain.
- Be careful of loose dry sluffing in steep, confined or exposed terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Storm Slabs
In places with 25-35+ cm of storm snow over the March 19 interface of facets, spotty surface hoar or sun crust, some small soft slabs are failing with skier traffic in steep terrain. This is not as much of a problem in areas with less storm snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 24th, 2021 4:00PM
