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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 8th, 2023–Apr 9th, 2023

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

Regions

Long Range Mountains, Corner Brook, Gros Morne, Northern Peninsula.

Heightened avalanche conditions exist on leeward slopes where new and recent snow has been wind-loaded into reactive slabs.

We will likely see an increase in avalanche danger in the following days with warming temperatures and sun.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Wind slabs and cornices were reactive prior to the weekend. Natural and human-triggered wind slabs size 1-2 were reported in the White Hills and Big Level areas. Wind slabs were predominantly on east aspects in the alpine. Natural cornice falls were observed in the Tablelands.

Snowpack Summary

Small amounts of new snow continue to accumulate. Around 10 cm of recent snow sits over wind-hardened surfaces in the alpine and crust at lower elevations.

Snow from earlier in the week appears to be well-bonded to an underlying rain crust but contains a few storm interfaces 20-40 cm deep that remain reactive in snowpack tests. This may include a layer of graupel which could be slow to bond.

The remainder of the snowpack is composed of alternating layers of crusts and wind-hardened snow, effectively bridging any deeper weak layers.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

A trace of new snow. Moderate northwest wind. Alpine low -12 C.

Sunday

Flurries intensifying in the afternoon, accumulating around 5 cm. Moderate westerly wind. Alpine high -8 C.

Monday

5-10 cm overnight then clearing to mostly sunny. Moderate northwest wind. Alpine high -2 C. Freezing level rising to 500 m.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. Moderate southwest wind. Alpine high +3 C. Freezing level rising to 1500m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
  • The more the snowpack warms-up and weakens, the more conservative you`ll want to be with your terrain selection.

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.

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.