Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Apr 12th, 2013 4:00PM
The alpine rating is Storm Slabs and Cornices.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeSummary
Weather Forecast
Weather models show the Columbia Icefield area receiving steady snowfall for the weekend, with up to 25cm total by Sunday night. Winds should remain light SW below 2000m, but will be gusting in the strong range (SW-NW) in the alpine. Temps remaining cool and freezing levels below 1300m.
Snowpack Summary
Windslabs on lee aspects (NE) of exposed ridgecrests above treeline are covered by 5-10cm of new snow. New snow is sitting on previous temperature crusts below 2100m and on sun crust on solar aspects. Cornices are big and heavy, and several natural cornice falls have been observed in the past few days. Melt freeze crust carries well in AM.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed today, but several large cornice failures reported in the past 48hrs. Of note, several of these cornice falls did trigger deep persistent slabs with crown fracture depths of up to 1m, and some were observed to have triggered more recent storm/wind slabs with a depth of 10-40cm.  Â
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Problems
Storm Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 13th, 2013 4:00PM