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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 8th, 2014–Apr 9th, 2014

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Confidence

Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain

Weather Forecast

Overnight and Wednesday: Freezing level dropping overnight to 1500 metres. Precipitation starting Tuesday evening. The snow line should descend as the temperatures cool. 5-10 mm of precipitation should be a mix of snow and rain. Winds strong from the Southwest overnight, becoming light Northwest during the day. Mostly sunny with the freezing level rising during the day to 2000 metres.Thursday: Overnight freezing level dropping down to 1500 metres, and then rising up to 2200 metres during the day. Mostly sunny with strong solar radiation and light winds.Friday: Overcast with moderate Southwest winds and some light precipitation.

Avalanche Summary

Some loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported from Monday on all aspects and at all elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Very warm temperatures at alpine elevations created moist or wet snow on the surface. At treeline the snow is moist down 45 cm and "knife" resistance melt freeze crusts are reported to be breaking down. The late January/early February persistent weak layer is deeply buried and may have resulted in some large avalanches during the last few warm days. Forecast drop in freezing levels should develop new melt-freeze crusts on the surface over the next few days.

Problems

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.

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.