Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 17th, 2016 8:04AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Persistent Slabs, Storm Slabs and Cornices.

Parks Canada danyelle magnan, Parks Canada

Don't let the beautiful day lure you into complacency. Although temperatures are expected to stay cool, the strong solar packs a punch. Stay vigilant. If avalanches are triggered they are likely to be BIG!

Summary

Weather Forecast

Today should be mostly sunny. Alpine temps are expected to reach -5 with light N'ly winds hopefully helping to keep the snowpack cool. Although the strong solar may still destabilize the snowpack. Friday and Saturday are expected to be a mix of sun and cloud, with freezing levels gradually rising to 1800m by Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Convective flurries over the past week have added to the storm slab, with 30-50cm overlying a crust on solar aspects. Persistent weak layers from February are down 70-120cm and are of most concern on solar aspects. On northerly aspects the snowpack has less layers of concern, although on lee features in the alpine buried windslabs may exist.

Avalanche Summary

There was less solar than expected yesterday, but when the sun peaked out it triggered small loose avalanches. In the region a size 2.5 avalanche was triggered by skiers on a S'ly aspect, failing on the crust down 1m. Size 2-4 natural avalanches occurred on S'ly aspects, while on N'ly aspects a few size 1.5-2 slabs occurred on windloaded features.

Confidence

Problems

Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Persistent Slabs
Tests, and recent avalanches in the region, continue to show that a layer down 75 to 100 is triggerable by light loads (that's you). If triggered this layer is likely to propagate into large avalanches. This layer is of most concern on solar aspects.
Minimize exposure to steep, planer south facing Alpine slopesChoose well supported terrain without convexities.

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

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 3

Storm Slabs

An icon showing Storm Slabs
A 30-50cm deep storm slab has formed. It is expected to become increasingly reactive due to the strong solar. In addition, on solar aspects it overlies a sun crust which provides a sliding surface. On lee, N'ly slopes soft windslabs may exist.
Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.Watch for clues, like sluffing off of cliffs, that the snowpack is warming up.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Cornices

An icon showing Cornices
Large cornices exist on many ridges. Rapid changes, from very cold overnight to being beat on by strong solar may cause them to fail. A falling cornice is likely to trigger deeper layers and cause large avalanches.
Do not travel on slopes that are exposed to cornices overhead.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Mar 18th, 2016 8:00AM