Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 8th, 2012 10:46AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Loose Wet and Cornices.

Avalanche Canada jfloyer, Avalanche Canada

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Due to limited field observations

Weather Forecast

Monday should remain dry with some sunshine poking through the cloud and freezing levels around 1500 m. Winds are expected to be moderate southeasterly. On Tuesday, light flurries are anticipated. Freezing level should remain pretty constant, (with little overnight freeze on Monday or Tuesday nights), winds remaining moderate southeasterly. On Wednesday, a little more precipitation is expected, say 5 mm as snow above 1500 m and rain below.

Avalanche Summary

Point releases, especially on south facing terrain have been reported from the last few days up to size two. A size 3 glide slab was reported to the west of the region on a south-facing slope near Shames. Note, we are currently receiving very little information about this region.

Snowpack Summary

Moderate winds have blown light amounts of new snow into variable wind slabs in exposed lee and cross-loaded terrain, which are starting to bond. Surface snow on sun-exposed slopes is undergoing a daily melt-freeze cycle. In sheltered areas 15-30cm of recent new snow sits on previous surfaces that include crusts (found on all aspects below 1000m and on solar aspects higher up), and old wind slabs. Daytime warming and sun-exposure will cause surface snow to lose cohesion and cornices to weaken. Wet slabs also become a possibility during periods of prolonged warming, especially if there is minimal amounts of overnight freeze.

Problems

Loose Wet

An icon showing Loose Wet
Loose wet avalanches are likely on sun exposed slopes during the day.

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

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Cornices

An icon showing Cornices
Large cornices exist in alpine terrain and they may pop off with warmer temperatures and intense solar radiation. A failure could be destructive by itself, and could also trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 5

Valid until: Apr 9th, 2012 9:00AM