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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 31st, 2021–Apr 1st, 2021

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

Regions

Cariboos.

Flurries and increasing winds should sustain wind slab problems at high elevations while light rain maintains some potential for wet loose activity lower down. Stay aware of cornices that formed fragile new growth during the storm. 

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Wednesday night: Brief clearing then cloudy. Strong southwest wind. Freezing level remaining near 1500 metres.

Thursday: Cloudy with flurries bringing around 5 cm of new snow, easing overnight. Strong southwest wind, easing over the day. Alpine high temperatures around -5 with freezing levels to 1500 metres.

Friday: Cloudy with continuing scattered flurries and up to 5 cm of new snow, continuing overnight. Light southwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -5 with freezing levels to 1500 metres.

Saturday: Cloudy with continuing scattered flurries with less than 5 cm of new snow, continuing overnight. Light southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -4 with freezing levels to 1600 metres.

Avalanche Summary

We haven't received any reports of natural activity during the weekend's storm but a couple of involvements were reported on Monday. We really appreciate this MIN report of a size 1.5 skier triggered storm slab on a northeast aspect around treeline. Thankfully no one was injured. 

We regret to report a fatality on Eureka Peak, east of Williams Lake. A human-triggered cornice failure resulted in a size 2.5 slab avalanche. It is important to remember to stay well back from ridgetops that might be corniced and to avoid slopes with overhead cornice exposure especially under the current conditions where recent rapid growth has made them large and fragile.

Snowpack Summary

Thin new surface crusts have likely formed on some solar aspects and in a more widespread fashion below about 1900 metres. Forecast precipitation will likely keep surfaces wet at lower elevations while adding light amounts of dry snow to surfaces above 1500 metres. 

Our 20-50 cm of recent snow has otherwise seen some redistribution by southwest to northwest wind, and seems to be bonding well with underlying surfaces.

Recent warm weather patterns are expected to have helped old persistent weak layers heal including a few crusts buried over the last month, as well as a facet layer 150 cm deep from the mid-February cold snap, which has not produced avalanches since the first half of March.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Extra caution is needed around cornices under the current conditions.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.

Problems

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.

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.

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.