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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 20th, 2019–Apr 21st, 2019

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

Regions

Sea To Sky.

Be aware of a warming snowpack, the loose wet avalanche hazard will rise with limited overnight re-freeze and the pace at which the snowpack warms during the day. In the alpine, wind slabs may linger around steep, lee slopes and under cornices.

Confidence

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Weather Forecast

SATURDAY NIGHT: Clear skies, light gusting moderate southwest wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1600 m.

SUNDAY: Mix of sun and clouds, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1800 m.

MONDAY: Cloudy with alpine flurries accumulating though the day, 10-30 cm snow, moderate southwest wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1800 m.

TUESDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries up to 5 cm, light southwest wind, alpine temperature +1 C, freezing level 2000 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Friday morning, explosives triggered two wet loose size 2 avalanches and several size 2 cornices, in some cases the cornice triggered wet slab avalanches to size 2 on the slopes below. One natural storm slab avalanche was observed on a north aspect, the trigger was likely a cornice naturally failing and falling on the slope.

On Thursday night and into Friday, a loose wet avalanche and cornice cycle occurred in the region during the storm, producing small to large avalanches (size 1 and 2). Most of the avalanches occurred in the alpine as well as treeline.

Snowpack Summary

30 mm of precipitation fell as rain below 2000 m. A crust has developed on most aspects expect for high alpine slopes where up to 10 cm loose, dry snow accumulated. Cornices and wind slabs have developed with recent strong south winds. The snowpack below treeline is saturated and rapidly melting.

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.