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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 8th, 2025–Mar 9th, 2025

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

Regions

Purcells, East Purcell, St. Mary, Bull.

New snow depths will vary around the region. Verify conditions as you travel.

While signs of buried weak layers may be hard to find, they continue to produce avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Friday: Cornice falls were reported to have triggered large avalanches, mostly contained within the surface snow.

Thurs: One person was buried in an avalanche in Pedley Pass, just east of the forecast area. See details about that avalanche and a few nearby in these MINs.

Wed: Numerous, small natural and human triggered dry loose avalanches were reported in steep terrain, as well as a few small rider and explosive triggered slab avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

The upper snowpack is currently quite variable.

On solar aspects, a surface sun crust may exist to mountain top. Sheltered areas or north aspects contain surface hoar or facets.

5 to 10 cm of recent snow that is settling over a widespread melt-freeze crust that exists everywhere but north-facing slopes above 2000 m. In wind sheltered areas, it may have buried a layer of up to 10 mm surface hoar.

A few weak layers consisting of a crust, facets or surface hoar from February and January remain a concern, buried 30 to 60 cm.

A layer of facets from early December is buried 70 to 120 cm. In many areas, facets or depth hoar exist at the base of the snowpack. These deeper layers are not currently creating an avalanche problem.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy with isolated flurries, up to 3 cm in the alpine. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1900 m.

Sunday

Mainly cloudy, with up to 5 cm snow. 20 to 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1800 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud, with up to 15 cm of snow overnight. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud, with isolated flurries. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -1 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Pay attention to the wind; once it starts to blow, sensitive wind slabs are likely to form.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.