Fortitude and West Rogers Winter Restricted Areas will be closed today. Please respect all closures, the Winter Permit System requires 100% compliance!
Summary
Weather Forecast
The dominating ridge of high-pressure will succumb a cold front today, as a low-pressure system pushes onshore from the Pacific. This means we can expect a mix of sun and could during the day with precipitation starting tonight. The freezing level will peak today at 2200m, winds will be light from the south, but will gust strong.
Snowpack Summary
Spring melt-freeze conditions exist at lower elevations, and into the alpine on solar asp. The snowpack has even turned isothermal in the afternoon at lower elevations, on solar aspects. On Polar aspects at and above TL the surface snow remains dry, with a strong mid, and lower-snowpack. The March crusts and spotty unreactive SH is buried ~30cm.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday there were numerous avalanches up to size 3 in steep, rocky, solar facing terrain at lower elevations. There has been a decrease in activity over the last few days, with cooler overnight temperatures refreezing the snow surface; however, there has still been a few isolated avalanches that occurred later in the afternoon on solar aspects.
Confidence
Problems
Loose Wet
This week we have observed several large avalanches in steep, rocky, S-SW facing terrain. While these avalanches were primarily loose wet in nature, some slabs, and even glide slabs were witnessed.
- Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
Aspects: South, South West, West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Warm spring temperatures have caused many cornices to fail this week. While most cornice falls have not pulled slabs beneath them, the sheer volume of the cornice itself, produced large destructive avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 19th, 2021 8:00AM
