Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 17th, 2019 5:09PM

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

istorm, Avalanche Canada

Northwest Inland.

Sunshine and warmth may feel good to us, but it doesn't help the snow. It's a good time to step aside, watch from afar, and let the mountains shed some of their winter coat. Riding will be better, or at least safer, when it cools off in a few days.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

A significant warm-up is happening and will continue through the week with above freezing level to the summits. Unfortunately, very little overnight re-freeze is expected during the warm spell.SUNDAY NIGHT: Clear, warming temperatures overnight with freezing level near 2300m by morning.MONDAY: Sunny and dry. Freezing level around 3000 m with no overnight freeze. Light south wind.TUESDAY: similar to Monday.WEDNESDAY: similar to Monday and Tuesday but possibly slightly lower freezing level, say 2500 m.

Avalanche Summary

There are few observers in the field this week but reports showed a natural avalanche cycle of storm and wind slabs up to size 2 early in the week and loose wet avalanches with afternoon warming.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50 cm arrived in the past week. This recent snow rests on previously wind affected surfaces, sun crusts (on solar aspects) and weak, sugary facets. The prolonged period of cold temperatures in February has had an overall effect of weakening the upper and mid-snowpack, as well as the basal snowpack in thinner areas.Sunshine and warm temperatures will weaken the upper snowpack; the difficult question is how quickly this will affect deeper layers. One answer is the thinner the snowpack depth, the quicker it will happen.

Problems

Loose Wet

Slabs may be particularly touchy where they rest on weak faceted snow. Sunshine and warm temperatures will weaken the snow on sunny slopes.

Continue to make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazards, including cornices.Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.Parking, eating lunch, and regrouping in runout zones is bad practice.

Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2.5

Persistent Slabs

Previous weaknesses may reactivate with forecast sunshine and warming. There are numerous reports of remotely triggered avalanches from neighbouring areas (see Northwest Coastal) which appear relevant to Northwest Inland conditions.

If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent slopes.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1.5 - 3

Valid until: Mar 18th, 2019 2:00PM