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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 13th, 2022–Mar 14th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Purcells.

Carefully assess your line for wind slab before committing to it.

Confidence

High - We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

Weather Forecast

Sunday night: flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow. Light to moderate southwest winds and a low of -3 at 1800 m.

Monday: light flurries bringing up to 5 cm of snow . Light southwest winds and freezing levels rising to 1800 m.

Tuesday: cloudy with flurries bringing up to 5 cm of snow . Light southwest winds and freezing levels rising to 2000 m.

Wednesday: a mix of sun a cloud with light flurries bringing trace amounts of snow. Light southwest winds and freezing levels rising to 1700 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday several slab and loose dry avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported through out the region. Several small cornice failures were also reported. Avalanche activity was generally at treeline and on north and east aspects.

ON Friday ski cutting produced several slab avalanches up to size 2. These avalanches were wind loaded features on northerly aspects and all failed on persistent weak layers from February.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slab could be found on north and east aspects at treeline and above in exposed terrain. Up to 10 cm of recent snow sits over a variety of surfaces including a sun crust on solar and facets. . Moist snow could be observed at low elevations.

The late February layer is down 30 to 50 cm . This layer consists of a crust on solar aspects and all aspects at lower elevations. This layer presents as facets on northerly terrain and surface hoar in sheltered treeline features.

A layer of surface hoar from late January has not produced recent avalanche activity but it can still be identified 40-50 cm deep near Golden.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.

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.