Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 24th, 2021 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Storm Slabs.
Lisa Paulson,
Some variability in the forecast region - pay attention to local wind effect and recent storm snow amounts to gauge the hazard.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Trace amounts of snow expected for Thursday as a weak system crosses the rockies. Ridge winds are expected to be light Freezing levels will rise to 2000 m in afternoon. See https://www.avalanche.ca/weather/forecast for more details.
Snowpack Summary
15-40 cm of snow has fallen at treeline since March 19th with variable SW-NW winds. This storm snow sits over a sun crust (up to ridge tops) on solar aspects, and over a mix of surfaces on North aspects including facets and spotty surface hoar, and over a temperature crust at lower elevations. Thin areas becoming isothermal below treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Few small wind slabs in the high alpine were ski cut in the Sunshine area today and some loose dry to size 1.5 in steep NW alpine features in Little Yoho during a snow squall event.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
Problems
Wind Slabs
Small wind slabs can be found in lee areas of the high alpine that could be triggered by skiers in steep terrain. On solar aspects these wind slabs may sit over a buried sun crust that can act as a sliding layer.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially in steep confined alpine terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Storm Slabs
Gathering information on this interface - still could be reactive to skiers where there is 25-35+ cm of storm snow over the March 19 interface of facets, spotty surface hoar or sun crust, . It's not a problem in areas with less storm snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 25th, 2021 4:00PM
