Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Mar 10, 2018Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 9 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Sunshine and warming will increase hazard throughout the weekend. Natural loose wet avalanches are expected on steep south facing slopes and lingering storm slabs reactive to human triggers.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Storm slabs are expected to still be reactive to human triggers on Saturday.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Forecast sunshine is expected to trigger loose wet avalanches on steep south facing slopes.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

SATURDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1500 m.SUNDAY: Mostly sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2000 m.MONDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2300 m.

Avalanche Summary

Several size 2 natural storm slab avalanches and numerous human triggered storm slabs up to size 1.5 on all aspects and elevations were observed near Fernie on Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

20-30 cm of new snow is sitting on a sun crust on solar aspects. Cornices are large and prone to failure over the weekend caused by forecast sunny skies.In the upper to mid snowpack, a surface hoar or facet layer buried mid-February is now 80 to 110 cm below the surface on sheltered northerly aspects. Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December and late November weak layers are composed of a combination of crusts and sugary facets which are down 200-300 cm.  These layers have been dormant but may be awoken by the warm and sunny weather over the weekend or by a large trigger such as a falling cornice.

Regions covered