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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 4th, 2021–Apr 5th, 2021

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Watch for cornices and wind slabs near ridgetops.

Confidence

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

Weather Forecast

SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy, 40 km/h west wind, treeline temperatures drop to -7 C.

MONDAY: Cloudy with light flurries in the afternoon with trace accumulations, 40 km/h west wind, treeline temperatures around -4 C.

TUESDAY: Scattered flurries with up to 5 cm of new snow, 20 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperatures around -4 C.

WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with some light flurries, 20 km/h west wind, treeline temperatures around -4 C.

Avalanche Summary

Reports from Saturday included a few isolated avalanches with some size 1-2 cornice failures, one size 2 wind slab on a southeast aspect, and one size 2 wet loose avalanches on a south-facing slope.

Snowpack Summary

Small wind slabs formed by light amounts of recent snow and southwesterly winds may linger below alpine ridgetops. A firm crust exists at lower elevations. Cornices are large and looming at this time of year.

Buried 70-120 cm. deep, a spotty layer of surface hoar may exist on sheltered north aspects, but no recent avalanches have been reported on this layer. 

The lower snowpack is reported as well settled and strong in most areas. However, weak facets exist at the base of the snowpack in the more shallow snowpack zones within much of the region and have the potential to be triggered on steep, rocky slopes with a shallow or thin to thick snowpack; especially with large loads such as a cornice fall.

Terrain and Travel

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Avoid exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead.

Problems

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.