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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 22nd, 2024–Apr 23rd, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Purcells, South Rockies, Dogtooth, East Purcell, Bull, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Isolated pockets of wind slab may linger in steep terrain in the alpine.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

We didn't receive any reports of avalanche activity over the weekend. Looking forward, riders may find isolated pockets of small wind slabs lingering in lee terrain features near ridgetop.

Snowpack Summary

Northerly alpine slopes hold 10 to 20 cm of settled storm snow that overlies a hard melt-freeze crust. Isolated wind slabs may linger in steep northerly alpine terrain. All other aspects and everywhere below treeline have a hard surface crust.

The remainder of the upper snowpack is a mix of hard snow and crusts. The lower snowpack contains old weak layers that are currently dormant.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Clear skies. 5 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and clouds. 10 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level rising to 2500 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 1 cm of snow. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.