Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Apr 2nd, 2021 8:00AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
jonas hoke,
Watch for fresh pockets of windslab in lee terrain.
Scale back your exposure on solar slopes if the surface crust breaks down/becomes moist in the afternoon.
Summary
Weather Forecast
A weak trough this afternoon gives increasing cloud. A cold front late Saturday gives snow and increased wind.
Today: Isolated flurries. Alpine High -4 C. Light-mod SW ridge wind. Freezing level (Fzl) 1700m.
Tonight: Clear periods. Low -7.
Sat: Snow (12 cm). High -3. Strong SW wind. Fzl 1800m.
Sun: Mainly cloudy. Low -9, High -6. Fzl 1400m.
Snowpack Summary
A fresh breakable crust on solar aspects may break down if the sun comes out this afternoon. Recent winds have built pockets of slab in alpine and treeline lees. The March 18th layer (a crust on Solar aspets and isolated surface hoar on sheltered Northerly aspects) is now buried 60-100cm depending on aspect and elevation. Cornices are huge.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches on Thursday in the highway corridor.
There was a report of a natural size 3 avalanche from a south aspect in the Purcells on Thursday, this likely failed on the March 18th crust.
A group of skiers accidentally triggered a size 3 in the Teddy Bear Trees on Tuesday, this slab avalanche failed on the March 18th melt-freeze crust.
Confidence
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind in the wake of last weekends storm built pockets of windslab in lee terrain. Ongoing wind in the alpine continues to build on this problem.
- Use caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Skier triggering of a large avalanche on this layer, on a SE aspect, on Tuesday, shows that this layer may persist as a low probability high consequence problem.
- Assess start zones carefully and use safe travel techniques.
Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 3rd, 2021 8:00AM
