Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 7th, 2019 8:00AM

The alpine rating is low, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Loose Dry and Wind Slabs.

chris gooliaff, Parks Canada

Glacier.

It's SNOWING! Well, 5cm isn't much but it's enough to make couloirs and steep, confined gullies active places for loose avalanches. It's best to give these types of terrain traps a miss today.

Summary

Weather Forecast

It's finally snowing!! Today, expect scattered flurries amounting to 5cm today, accompanied by light/mod SW winds and alpine highs of -8*C. Unsettled conditions continue for Fri/Sat, with flurries, light west winds, and alpine highs of -12*C.

Snowpack Summary

3cm of new snow covers surface facets, wind slabs, and sun crusts . Sun crusts will be found on steeper solar terrain making for difficult travel. Moderate to strong winds have deposited thin wind slabs on exposed terrain features at ridge-top and exposed treeline areas. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong.

Avalanche Summary

Several loose dry avalanches to sz 2 were observed from Macdonald Gully 5, Cheops South, and the Generals out at the west end of Glacier yesterday.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Dry

Small amounts of new snow can add up to sizeable sluffs in steep, confined gullies. Best to give steep couloirs a miss today as the new snow will likely not bond well to the crusts on S aspects, nor the loose facets on N aspects.

Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Wind Slabs

Previous strong winds and cold temperatures have formed wind slabs. These generally "small" reactive wind slabs can still be found in isolated areas. The slabs may be overlying old dormant wind slabs, and or weak faceted snow.

Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.Use caution above cliffs where small avalanches may have severe consequences.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 8th, 2019 8:00AM