Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 24th, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
Catherine Brown,
The weather pattern and avalanche hazard will remain stable until Saturday, with a storm approaching the region on Sunday.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Continued warming trend, with an incoming storm on Sunday.
Tonight: Clear, -16*C, light W winds
Fri: Cloudy with sunny periods, Alp high -11*C, light SW winds
Sat: Clouds and Sun, Isolated Flurries, Alp high -11*C, light SW winds
Sun: Flurries, Alp high -11*C, Mod SW winds, Fz lvl 1500m
Snowpack Summary
Wind slabs formed early in the week are softening with cold temperatures. These lingering slabs, formed during strong northerly winds, can be found in open exposed terrain. The Feb 15 surface hoar/solar crust is down 50-70 cm. This layer is not been observed to be reactive in stability tests or to skier loads in the past few days.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches were observed on Wednesday and Thursday.
Early this week public reports of human triggered avalanches failing below surface wind slabs and on the Feb 15 SH/Crust layer. Size 2 partial burial on Avalanche Crest, Vaux Moraine, wind slabs on Cougar Creek East.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable
Problems
Wind Slabs
Isolated wind slabs are still present from northerly winds early in the weekend. Riders are less likely to trigger these firm deposits of snow as cold temperatures have soften slabs.
- Watch for surface cracking and stiffer surface layers of snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
A weak layer of surface hoar sitting on a sun crust on steep solar aspects is buried down 50-70 cm. It is mostly likely to be triggered at treeline, where the surface hoar is well persevered and a sun crust is present.
- Persistent slabs may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar asp where it sits on sun crust
- Use caution on open slopes and convex rolls at treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 25th, 2022 4:00PM
