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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 26th, 2013–Mar 27th, 2013

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

Sea To Sky.

Avalanche danger may rise with solar radiation or daytime warming.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Very light snow. Light S winds. Alpine temperature near -1. Thursday: Light snow. Light S winds. Freezing level near 1800 m.Friday: Clearing. Light winds. Freezing level near 1800 m.

Avalanche Summary

Small loose snow avalanches were reported in response to solar warming on Monday. A skier was partially buried in a slab in the Callaghan Valley on Sunday (report here).There was a report of a skier triggered size 2 slab avalanche on Saturday from a rocky south-facing alpine slope, in an area just north of Whistler. A few natural cornice falls also triggered thin slabs up to size 2 on the slope below.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures are helping recent storm snow to settle. On sun-baked and low to mid elevation slopes, a melt-freeze cycle is in play at the snow surface. This is causing weak moist snow conditions by day, while a refrozen crust forms by night. Large cornices are looming over some slopes, which may be weakened with warm temperatures.Various melt-freeze crusts are buried in the upper snowpack. In general, the bond at these interfaces is improving. A layer of surface hoar (buried on March 11; now down about 90 cm) is still being observed in some locations, with hard results in snowpack tests. Mid and lower snowpack layers are well bonded.

Problems

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.