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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 15th, 2014–Apr 16th, 2014

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

This bulletin was created using very limited field data. If you are out in the mountains, please send your observations to [email protected]

Confidence

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Cloudy with flurries and isolated sunny breaks. The freezing level is around 1600 m and ridge winds are light to moderate from the SW. Thursday: Cloudy with flurries or showers – 10-15 cm. The freezing level is around 2000 m. Winds are moderate from the South.  Friday: Cloudy with flurries or showers. The freezing level is around 2000 m. Winds are light to moderate from the NW.  

Avalanche Summary

Numerous natural loose wet avalanches were reported on Monday from steep sun exposed slopes. Explosive control in Kootenay Pass also produced several wet slabs up to size 2 (20-40 cm deep).

Snowpack Summary

Melt-freeze cycles have created a hard and thick crust at the surface in most places, which has been breaking down on all aspects up to around 2000 m and above this elevation on solar aspects. The late January/early February persistent weak layer is deeply buried and has not produced avalanches in this region for some time now. Cornices are large in some areas and should be given a wide berth.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.