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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 22nd, 2016–Apr 23rd, 2016

Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Glacier.

With rain and warm temps this weekend will lead to dangerous avalanche conditions and poor ski quality.

Weather Forecast

Rain showers that began this morning will continue throughout the day, amounting to 9mm of precipitation. Alpine temperatures will reach 15 with freezing levels climbing to 3500m.  A moisture laden SW flow continues to dominate the weekend with ongoing rain and high daytime temperatures.  Overnight temps are expected to drop somewhat next week.

Snowpack Summary

Sustained warm temperatures have led to poor overnight recovery of the snowpack with moist isothermal snow in the top 1m.  Rain started early this morning and will continue throughout the day. Snow is disappearing rapidly from lower elevations.

Avalanche Summary

Natural avalanche cycles continue to occur with daytime warming with loose wet avalanches.

Confidence

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.

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

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.