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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2022–Apr 6th, 2022

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 and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

Glacier.

Sunshine on Wednesday will play a major role in natural avalanches on S'ly aspects.

Expect avalanche activity to follow the arc of the sun, peaking when direct sun bakes the slopes.

Weather Forecast

Clearing Wed, then a dramatic warming Thurs with sun and cloud to mimic the greenhouse effect.

Tonight: Clearing, trace to 5cm, Alp low -10*C, FZL 500m, gusty mod W winds

Wed: Sun and cloud, Alp high -5*C, FZL 1500m, light SW winds

Thurs: Sun and cloud, Alp high 2*C, FZL 2800m, mod SW winds

Fri: Flurries, 6cm, Alp high 1*C, FZL 2100m, strong SW winds

Snowpack Summary

50-70cm of snow in the last 4 days at Treeline and above has buried a variety of surfaces (wind slabs, solar crusts to mtn top, and a melt/freeze crust to 2200m). Slopes in the Alpine hold cold, wintery snow, deeper on N'ly aspects. The December 1st crust is down 1.5-2m. Late season cornices are LARGE, with fresh, fragile new lobes recently added.

Avalanche Summary

A field team in the west end of the park easily ski cut a sz 2 persistent slab, 70cm deep, 50m wide, NE aspect, at 2150m.

Artillery control on Mon produced slab avalanches up to sz 3-3.5, N aspects being most reactive to explosives.

Nearest neighbours report easy triggering of the new wind/persistent slab between 2000-2200m on slopes >35*.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

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.