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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 28th, 2022–Mar 29th, 2022

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

Northwest Coastal.

Keep an eye on the snow surface, as it gets moist from warming the size and likelihood of wet loose avalanches will increase.

Confidence

Moderate - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.

Weather Forecast

Monday night: No new snow expected. Light southwest winds with the possibility of a mild temperature inversion, 0 at 1500 m.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with light flurries in the evening bringing up to 5 cm of new snow. South winds increasing throughout the day to strong in the evening. Freezing levels rising to 1500 m.

Wednesday: Stormy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow expected. Moderate southwest winds. Freezing level around 1100 m.

Thursday: cloudy with flurries bringing up to 5 cm of snow with light southwest winds. Freezing level around 1200 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday explosive control in the north of the region produced a size three persistent slab avalanche on a west aspect at 1800 m. Also in the north a size four natural persistent slab avalanche was observed on a south aspect at 2000 m.

Wet loose and natural cornice falls continue to be observed throughout the region.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slab could still be found on north and east facing terrain in the alpine. A crust can be found at or near the surface on all aspects and elevations except high north terrain. Moist snow will likely be observed at lower elevations.

A weak layer of surface hoar from mid March buried 70-120 cm deep can still be found but is considered dormant in the Terrace area. In the far north of the region it continues to produce large avalanches.

Terrain and Travel

  • As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.