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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2023–Apr 20th, 2023

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

Lizard-Flathead, Akamina, Flathead, Lizard, Moyie.

Use caution in wind-loaded alpine areas where deeper, more cohesive storm slab pockets are found and remain possible to human trigger.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported in the region on Tuesday.

We expect backcountry users will see evidence of a small dry loose avalanche cycle in the alpine from convective flurries through the last few days.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and around treeline, 10-30 cm of recent snow covers a frozen melt freeze crust.

Below treeline, expect to find moist or refrozen surfaces, and a shrinking snowpack that is isothermal during the heat of the day.

The mid snowpack is generally settled and strong, except in areas with snow depths less than 150 cm. In these lower snow areas, the mid-pack is likely weaker and more faceted.

The lower snowpack includes a layer of weak sugary crystals near the ground. This layer has shown signs of gaining strength, and it has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Cloudy with isolated flurries, 2-5 cm accumulation. Light northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels lower to 1200 m. Treeline low around -5 °C.

Thursday

Mainly cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Light northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise to 1800 m. Treeline high around -1 °C.

Friday

Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, trace accumulations. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise from valley bottom to 1800 m by mid-day. Treeline high -1 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, trace accumulations. Light west ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise from valley bottom to 2000 m by mid-day. Treeline high 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Brief periods of sun could quickly initiate natural avalanche activity.
  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.