Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 27th, 2019 8:00AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Wet.

chris gooliaff, Parks Canada

Glacier.

It's time to start rising early to catch the coldest temperatures of the day. Finish your tour early in the afternoon, as danger ratings increase with the warmth of the day.

Summary

Weather Forecast

A mix of sun and cloud today, with convective flurries in the afternoon. Light ridge winds are expected, along with freezing levels rising to 1800m. The trend continues through the rest of the week: a mixture of sun and cloud; freezing levels in the valley in the morning, rising to ~2000m by the afternoon; and light ridge winds.

Snowpack Summary

Flurries delivered 10-15cm of snow to the alpine yesterday. SW winds redistributed this into thin soft slabs at alpine and tree-line lee features. Cooler temps overnight will have created a supportive crust to carry a person on skis, but this will likely break down by mid-day into isothermal, oatmeal-like slop from 2000m and below.

Avalanche Summary

Field teams yesterday were able to ski cut loose, moist size 0.5 avalanches on terrain over 30 degrees. 10-15cm soft slabs were reported on Video Peak, reactive to skier traffic to size 1.0. A notable recent avalanche was a glide crack release in Mounds path. on Sunday

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

Thin soft slabs were formed with the new snow and moderate SW winds yesterday. Expect to find reactive slabs in the immediate lee features above tree-line and along ridges. These slabs will likely be triggered by sun today if it pokes out.

Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.Recent snow may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar aspects where it sits on sun crust

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Wet

Isothermal snow (warm, moist, oatmeal-like slop) is now insulated by 10-15cm of new snow. Expect difficult travel below 2000m off previous tracks. Use caution on steep slopes below tree-line; there is very little strength holding it together.

If triggered the loose wet sluffs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Avoid terrain traps, such as gullies, where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2.5

Valid until: Mar 28th, 2019 8:00AM