Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Dogtooth, East Purcell, Esplanade, Purcells, West Purcell.
Assess for wind slabs along ridges and in alpine terrain.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
Small wind slab avalanches (size 1) were reported on Monday, including a few 10 to 30 cm thick skier-triggered slabs on north and east-facing alpine slopes.
A few small dry loose avalanches were also observed over the past few days
Snowpack Summary
5 to 15 cm of dry snow sits atop melt-freeze layers. Several crusts may be found anywhere from 0 to 30 cm deep, depending on aspect and elevation.
The facet/crust layer that caused large avalanches in March is buried 100 to 150 cm deep. It is unlikely to trigger under the current conditions, but not totally off our radar for the season in high alpine terrain.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear skies. 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and cloud. 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow in the afternoon. 15 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 5 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
- Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent snowfall was accompanied with southwest wind, likely leaving reactive slabs on some leeward terrain features.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2