Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Glacier.
Warm temps aren't doing our early season snowpack any favors. Ski/ride with caution; rocks, trees, open creeks, etc are desperately trying to trip you up. It's a long season, stay safe!
Weather Forecast
A series of fronts embedded in a strong zonal flow will give warm temps and waves of moderate precipitation until later in the week.
Today: 5-10cm snow (6mm rain), mod SW winds, Alp high of 0°C, fzl 2000m
Tonight: 10-15cm snow (9mm rain), strong SW winds, Alp low -1°C, fzl 1900m
Wed: 20-30cm snow, mod-extreme SW winds, Alpine high 2°C, fzl 2500m
Snowpack Summary
The lower elevation snowpack continues to loose cohesion with above freezing temperatures overnight up to 2200m. In the alpine, incoming new snow will fall on bare ground in exposed windward features, previous firm surfaces in wind-loaded areas, and a sun crust on solar aspects. A healthy 1.5+m snowpack in the alpine shrinks to 30-40cm at 1300m.
Avalanche Summary
Several small avalanches were reported yesterday from steep solar aspects.
A major early-season cycle Thursday/Friday produced numerous avalanches up to sz 3 on Tupper, Macdonald, and the N side of Cheops to sz 3; many of these avalanches made it to valley bottom.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Loose Wet
Warm temps and rain continue to weaken what little snowpack we have at lower elevations.
- Avoid terrain traps, such as gullies, where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Storm Slabs
Storm slabs are expected to begin building today, and may become reactive by days end.
- Use caution in lee areas. Wind loading could create slabs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5