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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 6th, 2023–Apr 9th, 2023

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

As temps rise over the weekend watch for wet loose avalanches on on solar aspects. Dry snow can still be found on polar aspects and recent SW winds will have formed fresh windslab.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

There was a dry loose cycle earlier in the week to size 2. Avalanches were isolated to new snow.

Snowpack Summary

10-15cm of new snow from this week is becoming moist on solars at all elevations during the day. Strong re-freezes have been occurring overnight. Polar aspects still consist of dry snow above 1600 m. The January melt freeze crust is buried 60-100cm. Alpine and Treeline midpack is well settled and overlies basal facets and depth hoar. Below treeline, the Jan Crust overlies facets and depth hoar to ground.

Weather Summary

Friday

Alpine high +5 under clear skies. Winds moderate SW

Saturday

Alpine high of zero with broken skies. Moderate SW winds

Sunday

Alpine high of +5 with clear skies. Winds moderate SW.

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.

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.