Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Apr 15th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
IJ,
Avalanche Canada
10-20 cm of new snow and cooling temperatures will bring back winter for the 4th (or 5th) time this winter :)!
Forecasted snowfall amounts are uncertain, with some models/ locations showing up to 40cm!
More snow will equal higher danger - adjust accordingly!
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
Cooler temperatures and cloud cover on Monday kept avalanche activity to a minimum.
During the past weekends warm temperatures and sun, many avalanches stepped down to the Feb. 3/basal facet layer (See photos). These were a combination of solar triggered or cornice triggered on polar aspects.
There were also several reports of skiier triggered windslabs in high northerly aspect terrain.
Snowpack Summary
10-20 cm is forecasted to fall by Tues AM. This will cover widespread moist snow/crusts on solar aspects and lower elevations and wind effect on high north aspects. Cooling temps will freeze up this buried moisture over the next few days.
The midpack is well settled down to the Feb 3 persistent weak layer which remains a concern in shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects. In these areas, no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack remains thin and weak.
Weather Summary
Winter returns with a low pressure system coming in from the NW:
Monday overnight: 5-10 cm in most areas but possibly 15-30 cm in some areas. Moderate SW winds switching to NE. Freezing levels lowering to valley bottom.
Tues: Snow tapering in the AM (lingering on the east side). Moderate NE winds.
Wed - Thurs: Clearing and drying. Temperatures remain cold.
For more information click here
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
- Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
Problems
Wind Slabs
10-20 cm is forecasted to fall with moderate SW winds overnight Monday. This may create fresh windslabs in immediate lee features at alpine and treeline elevations and will bury pockets of old windslab. Often, fresh windslabs are most reactive where they overlie buried crusts (ie. solar aspects)
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
The Feb 3 layer is down 60-130 cm. In shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects, this layer may still be sensitive to skiers. All recent avalanches that initiated on this Feb 3 layer stepped down to the basal facets/ground.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 16th, 2024 4:00PM
