Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 16th, 2012 11:01AM
The alpine rating is Wind Slabs, Cornices and Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeSummary
Confidence
Fair - Due to limited field observations
Weather Forecast
Generally settled weather with flurries possible throughout the forecast period, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Winds generally light, initially from the southeast, becoming southerly on Sunday and Monday. Freezing levels going up to around 800 m during the day and dropping down to valley bottom each night.
Avalanche Summary
Soft slabs were reported to have been developing at treeline on Thursday. Some activity was noted outside the region to the west in recent storm snow. Nothing has been noted from this region. However, observations have been very limited.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate amounts of low density snow sit over a variety of old surfaces that include widely distributed hard wind slabs, or melt freeze crusts that exist on most aspects below 1000m and on solar aspects as high as 1600m. In exposed areas the newer snow has been shifted into deeper pockets of soft wind slab. The mid February persistent weak layer interface, comprised of spotty surface hoar, facets and crusts, is buried 80-120 cm below the surface. No recent activity has been reported on this interface. However, recent snowpack tests have been giving hard but sudden "pop" results and indicate it is has the potential to react given the right trigger in the right place. For route selection, it should still be on your radar and is most likely triggerable on steeper, unsupported terrain. Cornices in the area are reported to be very large and primed for triggering.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 17th, 2012 9:00AM