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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 23rd, 2023–Apr 24th, 2023

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

Regions

North Rockies, Blue River, McBride, Premier, Sugarbowl, Clemina, North Monashee, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Robson, Tumbler.

It's a challenge to manage different avalanche concerns that vary by elevation and aspect. Observe local conditions and use that information to help select terrain and travel techniques. Expect continued snow up high, rain down low, and a sloppy mix in the middle. Warm temperatures, rain, and the lack of overnight freeze zaps the strength out of the snow.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported. Please remember there are few eyes still out there regularly reporting field observations.

Expect Storm Slab or Wind Slab avalanches on Monday where more than 20 cm of new snow accumulates. At low elevations avalanche activity is likely to increase as low elevation snow becomes saturated by rain.

Snowpack Summary

Snow continues to accumulate at high elevations. Generally this recent snow is settling and bonding about as fast as more arrives. However, heavy localized snow could mean accumulations greater than 30 mm water equivalent (30 cm) in some valleys (but generally only 10 to 20 mm in the region as a whole. Storm slabs may develop in favoured snow holes. Windslabs are possible in immediate lee features.

On solar aspects at all elevations, and north aspects at treeline and low elevations, there are many crusts in the upper snowpack. Watch for this snow sitting on a slippery crust. Watch for the snow quickly loosing strength and loose wet avalanches when the sun pokes out.

At mid and high elevations the middle of the snowpack is generally well-settled and strong. A weak layer of facets at the base of the snowpack remains a concern, primarily in alpine terrain with shallow or variable (thick and thin) snowpack depths but also where there's overhead hazard (for example from cornices).

At low elevations the snowpack is generally melting away; however avalanche danger can exist from overhead hazards (avalanches starting from up high above near the peaks) or melting (warm temps, sunshine, rain).

Weather Summary

Sunday Overnight

Cloudy. Precipitation 5 to 10 mm falling as snow in the alpine, rain down low, and sloppy snow in between. Light winds. Treeline temperatures around zero and freezing level around 1500 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy. Trace to 5 mm water equivalent of precipitation (rain low, sloppy snow around treeline, snow alpine). Freezing level remaining between 1500 to 2000m. Treeline temperature around zero. Light westerly wind.

Tuesday

Generally clearing up and drying out kind of day. Trace to 5 mm water equivalent of precipitation. Ridgetop wind light but gusting moderate from the west. Around -5 C at treeline with freezing level around 1500 m.

Wednesday

Mix of sunshine with cloud arriving in the afternoon and precipitation starting up. A trace to 5 mm of water equivalent of preciptiation. Moderate southwest wind, freezing level around 2000 m, treeline temperature around zero.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • If you are increasing your exposure to avalanche terrain, do it gradually as you gather information.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
  • Shooting cracks, whumphs and recent avalanches are strong indicators of an unstable snowpack.
  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

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 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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.