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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 16th, 2023–Apr 17th, 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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South.

Increased daytime warming and sunshine will rapidly settle and increase the sensitivity of triggering avalanche problems. Avoid large open connected terrain on solar aspects during periods of intense sunshine.

Watch for unstable snow on isolated features: windslabs in the high alpine, and loose wet avalanches on steep slopes that face the sun.

Expect variable snowpack conditions as we transition from winter to spring.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported before 4 pm on Sunday.

We expect that anywhere that was sunny on Thursday or Friday would have seen numerous, small, wet loose avalanches triggered by the sun on steep slopes. Also, there may be small pockets of windslab on exposed alpine ridges that could avalanche under the weight of a human.

If you have any observations from this region, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and around treeline, 5-10 cm of new snow covers a frozen crust, with moist snow below.

The mid snowpack is generally settled and strong at treeline and above.

A melt-freeze crust that was buried in mid January can be found 60 to 100 cm below the snow surface.

A weak layer of large, sugary crystals persists at the base of the snowpack. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area, but professionals continue to monitor for signs of it becoming active.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Cloud with light snowfall. 5-10 cm of snow expected in the alpine. Freezing level descending to 1400 m. Treeline low around 0 °C. Strong to moderate southwest ridgetop wind.

Monday

Mix of sun and cloud . No new snow expected. Freezing level rising to 1800m. Treeline high around 2°C. Strong easing to light southwest ridgetop wind.

Tuesday

Partly cloudy. Trace amounts of new snow in the alpine. Freezing level at 400 m overnight, rising to 1600 m. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind.

Wednesday

Mostly clear, no new snow expected. Freezing level falling to valley bottom at night and rising to 1700 m mid day. Treeline low around -6 °C Moderate to light southwest ridgetop wind.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
  • Be alert to conditions that change throughout the day.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.

Problems

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.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.