Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South.
Travel conditions are challenging, but avalanche conditions are generally safe.
Continue to practice good travel habits and minimize time below cornices.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
Strong solar radiation earlier in the week resulted in several natural and human-triggered size 1-2 loose wet avalanches from steep solar aspects.
Last Saturday, avalanches up to size 2.5 were reported in the Crowsnest South area, including some deep releases. We suspect these deep persistent slabs occurred as a result of strong sun and warmer temperatures. This problem will likely reemerge throughout the spring when the snowpack undergoes rapid changes from sun, rain or warming.
If you have any observations from this data sparse region, especially regarding a potential deep persistent slab problem, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
A dusting of new snow overlies a crust on solar aspects, faceted snow and surface hoar up to 10 mm in shaded and wind-sheltered areas, and wind-affected surfaces in exposed areas. At lower elevations, a crust exists on or near the surface.
A melt-freeze crust with facets above can be found 50 to 120 cm deep, but it has not produced any recent avalanche activity in the region.
The weak layer at the base of the snowpack produced some large avalanches with strong sun and warm temperatures earlier in the week. Activity on this layer is expected to taper with cooler, cloudier weather but professionals are still tracking it to watch for signs of it waking up.
Weather Summary
Friday night
Cloudy with clear periods. Alpine temperatures drop to a low of -9 °C. Ridge wind southwest 10-40 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Ridge wind light from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 1600 metres.
Sunday
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -6 °C. Ridge wind east 10-25 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Monday
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -7 °C. Ridge wind light from the south. Freezing level at valley bottom.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.