Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 25th, 2021 8:02AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Storm Slabs, Loose Dry and Persistent Slabs.
Jonas Hoke,
The snowpack is still adjusting to the major storm it was slammed with early in the week.
There's more snow today, and great skiing everywhere... might as well keep it mellow.
Summary
Weather Forecast
A couple of low pressure systems will keep the weather unsettled until the weekend.
Thursday: Snow (10-15cm), Alpine high -8*C, strong SW winds
Tonight: Flurries (5-10cm), Low -9*C, light to occasional gusting strong SW winds
Friday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, High -10*C. Light SW wind.
Saturday: A mix of sun and cloud, Low -16 C, High -12 C.
Snowpack Summary
New snow (15cm and counting) is covering settled storm snow, and a thin suncrust on steep solar aspects. The 80mm of precip, and extreme S'ly winds from earlier in the week sits on the Feb 14 drought interface (a wind crust in exposed areas near Rogers Pass, and buried windslabs/facets as you move East or West).
Avalanche Summary
Helicopter control in the West of the park produced several size 3.0 avalanches on N and S/SE aspects Wednesday.
There were a couple reports of skiers triggering pockets of windslab to the East on Wednesday.
Monday and Tues saw a torrent of large natural and artillery-controlled avalanches to sz 4, running full path out onto valley bottom fans.
Confidence
Problems
Storm Slabs
Fresh storm slabs are building and will be touchier in exposed areas where they have been stiffened by the wind.
- If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
Loose dry avalanches will be bigger in sheltered terrain where they can entrain the previous storm snow.
Loose snow may run quickly on steep solar aspects where they sit on a thin suncrust.
- If triggered dry loose point releases can form deeper deposits in terrain traps.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
The 80+ cm of snow we received Monday sits on the February 14th facet/wind crust interface. This problem may persist longer in areas where the facets are well preserved.
- Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.
- Be wary of large open slopes that did not previously avalanche.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 26th, 2021 8:00AM
