Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Apr 5th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Loose Wet, Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.
PW,
Avalanche Canada
With another spring-like day in the forecast, conditions will remain highly variable.
The hazard, avalanche problems and conditions are heavily dependent on new snow amounts, wind and solar inputs. Start early, finish early.
If the weather inputs are greater than expected, use extra caution in your decision-making process.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Today we had reports of solar-triggered avalanches up to size 1.5 out of steep alpine terrain. While ski hills reported skier-controlled avalanches to size 1 on all aspects of the alpine.
Sporadic avalanches have occurred in the last week on the Feb 3rd layer, specifically around Lake Louise and on Cathedral Mountain. Parties out touring recently are also noting whoomphing in shallower snowpack areas.
Snowpack Summary
10-30 cm of generally moist snow has fallen in the past 72h and sits on the early April crust. Recent warming will have created new surface crusts well into treeline on all aspects and as high as 2500m on solar aspects. Polar aspects should still hold dry snow treeline and above.
Our main concern for persistent layers is shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects where no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack is thinner/weaker.
Weather Summary
Fri Night: No precip, alpine Low -4 °C with ridgetop winds in the light range. Freezing levels at valley bottom.
Sat: Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries, potentially 5 cm of new snow (regionally variable). Alpine high of -5 °C, with freezing levels climbing to 2000m. Light winds out of the NW.
Sun: Mix of sun/cloud and minimal snowfall. Light winds and an alpine high of -8 C.
Click here for more weather info.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
- Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 25cm of new snow.
- Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
Problems
Loose Wet
The wet loose problem is dependent on how warm it becomes treeline and below. The warmer and sunnier it is at the local level, the higher the likelihood of loose wet avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
The Feb 3 layer is down 65-120 cm. In shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects, this layer remains sensitive to skiers, with remote triggering observed in several instances. All the recent avalanches that initiated on this layer stepped down to the basal facets/ground.
Aspects: North, North East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Watch for reverse loading (atypical) as the recent winds have been out of the north and east. This new snow problem may also present as a loose dry avalanche where there has been less wind and could become reactive quickly with exposure to strong solar inputs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 6th, 2024 4:00PM
