Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 12th, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Dry.
Garth Lemke,
Low hazard means small avalanches may be triggered in isolated areas or extreme terrain. New snow amounts are increasing gradually over the next few days. This may increase the potential for loose snow sliding on a buried crust 10-20cm down.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Saturday night will be cloudy, flurries, -8C, and light winds. Sunday will have more intense flurries, potentially 7cm of snow, -4C, 1700m freezing level, and light ridge winds. Monday will bring 10cm of snow, -7C, light gusting strong Southwest winds, and freezing level 1600m. Expect scattered flurries and 4cm of snow on Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
Sheltered areas Treeline and below hold 10-20cm of soft snow over top a strong settled mid pack. Most alpine surfaces have been sculpted by previous winds and has a cornucopia of characteristics. A temperature crust down 10-30cm is decomposing and generally below 2300m on solar aspects. A facet and depth hoar layer is at the bottom of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
One steep loose surface slide was noted in the Mt. Cromwell area at treeline on a due East aspect. It started as a point and gained enough mass by the bottom to be a size 2. Also a small wet loose was noted next to Curtain Call. Both likely initiated by a brief spike in solar radiation. Thursday and Friday's patrols noted no new avalanches.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Sunday
Problems
Wind Slabs
Previous variable winds in the alpine has sculpted much of the terrain particularly where slopes present to the wind. Investigate any large slope before committing.
- Use caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
There was an increase in activity of this nature on due East and West aspects as the sun made a brief appearance on Saturday. They gained enough mass by the bottom to be a concern for someone in a terrain trap. Watch for sluffs while skiing.
- Be careful of loose dry power sluffing in steep terrain.
Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 13th, 2022 5:00PM
