Avalanche forecast

North Columbia

Mar 30, 2019Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

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

Cooler cloudy weather is approaching, but the danger will still be moderate during the heat of the day.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5
    Lingering slabs from Tuesday's storm may remain reactive to human triggers. This problem is likely to become increasingly confined to steeper, wind loaded slopes at ridgecrest.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    A springtime regime of daily warm temperatures and sunshine will tend to destabilize surface snow each day, especially on steep, sunny slopes. Larger avalanches become possible during peak warming.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Light southwest wind. Alpine temperatures drop to -5 C.SATURDAY: A mix of sun and cloud with cloud increasing over the day. Light west wind. Alpine high temperatures around 0 C with freezing level to 2000 m.SUNDAY: Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries and 2-5 cm of new snow at higher elevations. Light southwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -2 C with freezing level to 1800 m.MONDAY: Clearing skies throughout the day. Light north wind. Alpine high temperatures around -2 C with freezing level to 1800 m.

Avalanche Summary

Over the past few days, loose wet avalanches (size 1-2) have been observed on sun-exposed south to west facing slopes and wind slabs (size 1-2) reported on north to east aspects. North to northeast aspects were the focal point for slab avalanches with wide fracture propagations attributed to a poor bond between the new snow and old crusts.

Snowpack Summary

New crusts are likely found on all surfaces except for shaded slopes above 1700 m. On Tuesday, 10 to 30 cm of snow (variable over the region and increasing with elevation) buried a crust in most areas above 1500 m.The snowpack below about 1500 m has been disappearing rapidly under the recent warm temperatures, sunshine, and rain. The chance of loose wet avalanches increases each day as these factors break down surface crusts and bring snow to its melting point.The remainder of the snowpack is generally strong. Exceptions may exist on north aspects above 2000 m, where a layer of faceted grains may still be preserved beneath 50 to 70 cm of hard wind-affected snow.

Regions covered