Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 16th, 2021 3:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Loose Wet and Wind Slabs.
mkoppang,
Avalanche Canada
Early starts and finishes are key! Avalanche danger will be Moderate in the cool mornings and then increase throughout the day to high with the intense solar radiation. Pay attention to freezing levels, temps and aspect you are on or under.
Summary
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
A cold night with lows down to -15C then a clear day with freezing levels around 2400m with clear skies. Winds should also be calm. Will be a beautiful albeit hot day tomorrow!
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been observed.
Snowpack Summary
Melt freeze cycle seems to be the name of the game right now! Melting during the day and becoming less stable and freezing at night. With these kind of Spring conditions, timing and aspect is everything. The alpine appears to be wind affected except for sheltered north aspects. On non-solar aspects there are still some buried wind slabs in the upper 60 of the snowpack that are worth investigating before committing to bigger terrain. Be alert on the changing snow conditions under your skis. There are plenty of big cornices out there so take the time to plan your trip to avoid them.
Terrain and Travel
- Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet
- Avoid rock outcroppings, convexities, and anywhere the snowpack is thin and/or variable.
- Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
- Cornices become weak with daytime heating.
Problems
Loose Wet
Intense solar radiation at this time of year can quickly elevate avalanche activity on solar aspects. Solar radiation is still a concern on cloudy days, especially without an overnight freeze. Time your exposure to these slopes to avoid the heat of the day.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Wind slabs exist in the upper snowpack that feel drummy in some areas. Take the time to dig down and evaluate the interfaces in each specific terrain feature.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 17th, 2021 3:00PM
