Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Apr 9 – 10, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

This bulletin is based on limited amounts of information. Spring conditions mean you should anticipate a daily cycle of loose snow avalanches on south-facing slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–5
    Large cornices exist in alpine terrain and they may pop off with warmer temperatures and intense solar radiation. A failure could be destructive by itself, and could also trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Loose wet avalanches are likely on sun exposed slopes during the day.

Confidence

Fair - Due to limited field observations

Weather Forecast

Tuesday should remain dry with cloud increasing through the day. Freezing levels should hover around 1600 m, winds are expected to be moderate southeasterly. On Wednesday, expect light precipitation with only minimal accumulation. On Thursday, moderate precipitation is expected, with amounts in the 10-15 mm range. Winds should ease to light and freezing levels should drop slightly to around 1400 m.

Avalanche Summary

The last observation from this region was a cornice release on Saturday 7th that pulled a size 1.5 slab on a northeast aspect at lower alpine elevation. Based on observations from the Northwest Coastal region, I would expect loose snow avalanches have been occurring up to size 2 on solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

We have had very little information about the snowpack in this region for several days now. However, I suspect the warmer temperatures and generally light winds have consolidated the snowpack in many areas. Anticipate extensive crusts on solar aspects and moist snow at lower elevations. On shady aspects, I suspect you can still find pockets of dry snow, which may sit over previous old wind slabs. Wet slabs become a possibility during periods of prolonged warming, especially if there is minimal amounts of overnight freeze.

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