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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 10th, 2023–Apr 11th, 2023

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

Regions

Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South.

Give the weather another day to calm down before exploring the alpine.

As the freezing level falls, you will find that conditions change drastically with elevation and through the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Monday in neighboring Waterton National Park, numerous loose wet avalanches up to size 2.5 were reported on all aspects and elevations during the warm, wet storm.

If you have any observations from this region, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and around treeline, 5-10 cm of new snow covers rain soaked surfaces. Prior to the weekend storm, dry snow only remained on shaded (northerly) slopes.

The mid snowpack is generally settled and strong at treeline and above.

A melt-freeze crust that was buried in mid January can be found 60 to 100 cm below the snow surface.

A weak layer of large, sugary crystals persists at the base of the snowpack. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area, but professionals continue to monitor for signs of it becoming active.

Weather Summary

Snow/Rain amounts for the ongoing storm are uncertain. Weather models are not agreeing on how widespread or intense the precipitation will be, and exact freezing levels will be hard to forecast as they drop. Prepare to continually evaluate the conditions, and change plans as necessary.

Monday Night

Cloudy with a possible clear period around midnight. Light to moderate rainfall expected. 5 mm with isolated areas of 15 mm or more. Snow/rain line rising to 3000 m, falling back below 2500 m by morning. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to extreme at high elevations.

Tuesday

Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow expected. Snow/rain line starts the morning around 2000 m and falls to valley bottom through the day. Treeline low around -4°C. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at high elevations.

Wednesday

Partly cloudy. Possible trace of snow expected. Treeline high around -4°C. Light southwest ridgetop wind.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow expected. Treeline high around -4°C. Light variable ridgetop wind.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
  • Be alert to conditions that change throughout the day.
  • Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

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.