Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Glacier.
Low hazard does not mean no hazard.
It is still a winter in the alpine, travel accordingly.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches observed.
Isolated natural avalanches up to size 3 were observed in north facing terrain on Tuesday.
On Sunday, 2 people had a close call on Ursus Minor, narrowly being missed by a sz 2 which then launched over the cliffs below.
Also on Sunday, a skier was taken for a ride on Youngs Peak, and another triggered a large cornice along the ridge line.
Another close call with a cornice occurred along the ridgeline of Cheops on Sat.
Snowpack Summary
Below treeline, you will find a well settled spring snowpack, with a strong surface crust that may break down during the heat of the day.
At Treeline we have a record low snow depth of ~210cm. With 5cm of new snow on a variable crust on all but high northerly aspects, which may still hold dry snow.
A melt-freeze crust, buried on March 26th, is down 30-40cm and extends into the alpine on solar aspects.
The Feb 3rd crust/facet layer persists at upper elevations, buried 80-140cm down.
Weather Summary
Cool, stable weather is the trend as we head in to the weekend.
Tonight: Isolated flurries. Low -7 °C. Freezing level (FZL) 1100m. Light East Ridge Wind.
Friday: Cloudy with sunny periods. High -2 °C. FZL 1900m. Light NE Ridge Wind.
Saturday: Sunny periods. Low -4 °C, High -2 °C. FZL 1900m. Light W wind.
Sunday: Sunny periods/isolated flurries. Low -6 °C, High -2 °C. FZL 1800m. Light SW wind.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
- Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
- Remember that the snowpack will be significantly different at higher elevations than lower down.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Extreme south/southwest winds Tuesday night, followed by steady moderate Northerly winds, have redistributed snow in exposed terrain in the alpine. Assess the snowpack as you go, looking for these stiff deposits of snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Cornices
Be aware of large cornices overhead, or as you approach/walk along ridgelines. There have been several close calls this week, with people getting too close and luckily not being taken with the collapsing mass of snow.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1.5 - 3.5