Avalanche Forecast

High -

Another beautiful day is expected on Wednesday with sunny skies, warm temps and light NE winds. The April sun will feel intense and freezing levels will climb to 2250m.

Only pin-wheeling observed today in solar terrain, but field teams left the field early, so we may have missed the peak of solar activity. No new slab avalanches in the past 24hrs.

A few more cm's fell in the last 24hrs. The storm snow over the past week now totals between 40 and 60cm and is settling rapidly on solar aspects. This time of year is the "tale of two snowpacks." On the solar side, the mornings are crusty, but this crust melts rapidly in the April sun. Today the top 5cm of the snow was moist by midday making for sticky ski conditions and increasing avalanche hazard. On the polar aspects, the snowpack is more wintery in nature with wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain in the Alpine and wind prone areas at Treeline. Recent human and naturally-triggered avalanches on northerly aspects indicate that wind slabs are still a concern. Cornices are also large and looming and deserve respect, especially in the blazing sun.

• Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
• Pay attention to isolated alpine features as well as cross-loaded features at treeline.
• Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet
• Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.