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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 31st, 2021–Apr 1st, 2021

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Warm and sunny for the most part for a couple of days. Keep an eye on steep slopes facing the sun during the warmest part of the day.

Confidence

High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern with little change expected.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday Night: Clear periods. Ridgetop wind moderate southwest. Alpine temperatures near -4 and freezing level 1600 m. 

Thursday: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridgetop wind moderate southwest. Alpine temperatures near -1 and freezing levels 2000 m. 

Friday: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridgetop wind light to moderate southwest. Alpine temperatures near -3 and freezing levels 1800 m. 

Saturday: Cloudy with clear periods. Ridgetop wind moderate from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near 0 and freezing level 2200 m.

Avalanche Summary

Reports on Tuesday show a few thin wind slab releases to size 1 and sluffing to size 1 from steep terrain facing the sun.

Reports on Monday outline several explosives controlled wind slab avalanches size 1.5 to 2 primarily on northerly aspects between 2000 and 2100 m.

Snowpack Summary

The region received around 10-15 cm of new snow over the weekend and into the early part of the week. For the most part, the new snow buries surfaces that became moist with daytime warming on Saturday. There is some uncertainty about the extent to which this moist snow refroze into crust in advance of the storm. The new snow adds to settled dry storm snow on high elevation north aspects.

Below an additional 30-40 cm of snow accumulated through last week and weekend, there is a widespread melt-freeze crust, with the exception of high north-facing terrain where faceted snow or surface hoar may exist at this interface.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Even brief periods of direct sun could produce natural avalanches.
  • Be aware of highly variable recent wind loading patterns.
  • As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.

Problems

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.