Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 2nd, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
Grant Statham,
Great conditions with new snow and light winds forecast for Thursday, then cooling. We're now in suncrust season, so be wary of buried crusts on solar aspects; these have a nasty habit of surprising us in March. North aspects don't have this problem.
Summary
Weather Forecast
The different weather models do not agree, but it looks like about 15 cm of new snow is expected by the end of day Thursday. This comes with light winds and temps from 0 to -5 on Thursday. Overnight Thursday the skies clear and temperatures drop about 10 degrees.
Snowpack Summary
20-30cm of snow over the past 3-days has made for a smooth, well-bonded snow surface up to treeline with limited wind effect in alpine areas. Warm temperatures have created wet snow and crust below about 1600m with some snowballing on the surface. Watch for buried sun crusts on S and W aspects; always a concern during the second half of the winter.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed or reported from Sunshine or Lake Louise ski area, or from ski touring trip to Crystal Ridge on Hwy 93N, or from a road patrol in Kootenay National Park. Breaking news late in the day from K-Country: size 2.5 skier remote slab 40 cm deep on a SE aspect at 2500 m (ran on a suncrust).
Confidence
Problems
Wind Slabs
10-20 cm of new snow will fall on Thursday, but with light winds the windslab formation should be in immediate leeward areas only. Watch out on steep south/east/west facing terrain that may have a buried suncrust.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 3rd, 2022 4:00PM
