Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 29th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Storm Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
dsaly,
Avalanche Canada
Dangerous avalanche conditions persist at all elevations. The snowpack will remain primed for rider triggering as natural avalanches taper off.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Numerous natural and rider-triggered storm slab and persistent slab avalanches size 1 to 3 have been reported the past few days in the alpine and treeline elevation bands on all aspects. Most of these occurred on the weak layer of faceted grains 60-100 cm deep sitting on a crust formed in early February. Several were reported as remotely triggered (from a distance).
As natural avalanche activity tapers, the snowpack will remain primed for rider-triggered avalanches.
Snowpack Summary
70 to 110 cm of recent snow sits on a variety of layers that it may not bond well to, including surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain, weak facets, or a hard melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed south and west-facing slopes. A plethora of recent avalanche observations indicate the fresh snow is not bonding well to these layers. The wind has likely formed thicker deposits in lee terrain features near ridges.
A thick and hard widespread crust that formed in early February is buried 50 to 100 cm deep and is found up to around 2400 m. This crust may have a layer of facets above it, which makes it a troublesome avalanche layer.
The remainder of the snowpack is settled.
Weather Summary
Thursday Night
Cloudy with flurries, 5 to 15 cm of snow. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -16 °C. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with sunny breaks and isolated flurries, 5 cm of snow. 15 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud and isolated flurries. 15 to 25 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Shooting cracks, whumphs and recent avalanches are strong indicators of an unstable snowpack.
- Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low-angle, well-supported terrain with no overhead hazard.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm slabs are likely to remain reactive to human traffic, particularly where they sit on problematic weak layers or hard surfaces. Smaller slabs may easily step down and trigger larger, more destructive avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
A weak layer of faceted grains above a melt-freeze crust buried 50 to 100 cm deep is a recipe for large, high-consequence avalanches. This snowpack setup will take some time to strengthen.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 1st, 2024 4:00PM
