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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 4th, 2022–Apr 5th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Northwest Coastal.

Keep an eye on the wind and snow transport. Slabs may be especially touchy where they overlie a crust.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the speed, direction, or duration of the wind and its effect on the snowpack.

Weather Forecast

Monday night: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 10 cm. Increasingly strong west wind. Ridgetop low -8 C.

Tuesday: Unsettled with flurries, 5-15 cm. Moderate southwest-west wind. Ridgetop high -4 C.

Wednesday: Snow, 10-20 cm. Moderate south wind gusting to extreme. Ridgetop high -2 C.

Thursday: Heavy Snow, 40 cm. Strong ridge wind gusting to 50 km/h. Ridgetop high -1 C.

Avalanche Summary

Early Monday morning, in the north of the region, workers reported a natural wind slab on a northwest aspect with a 60 cm depth.

On Sunday, a large (size 2.5) natural storm slab avalanche was observed on a north aspect at 1600m. Throughout the region, explosives triggered numerous storm and wind slab avalanches to size 2.5. 

Late Saturday and early Sunday morning, explosives triggered storm slab avalanches to size 2 (and one 2.5) in the northern end of the region.

Snowpack Summary

20-50 cm wind slabs and wind affected snow sits over a crust on all aspects and elevations except high elevation north-facing terrain. In the north of the region, small surface hoar may be found above this crust where this layer continues to display poor (sudden fracture characteristics) results in snowpack tests.

Terrain and Travel

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.