Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 6th, 2023 1:30PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
Mikey,
Avalanche Canada
Good skiing can still be found in sheltered areas on low angled terrain. The snowpack has several weak layers which can produce large avalanches.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
Several natural avalanches that were 36-48 hours old were observed. This cycle of natural avalanches has been the theme this winter.
Snowpack Summary
Sheltered areas are still providing good skiing. The forecasting crew were out just East of Tent Ridge and found that the snowpack still has a lot going on. At tree line, the surface wind slab produced easy compression tests 25cm down. Then we got a moderate compression test at the top of the facet layer which was 100cm from the ground. The November surface hoar/facet layer was still producing moderate to hard compression tests which was 45cm off the ground. Not a very inspiring or confidence building snowpack. Be cautious approaching larger slopes. Solar radiation, and daytime heating can have a significant effect in March. One should be aware of exposure to slopes above while travelling below tree line.
Weather Summary
A pretty nice day is forecast for Tuesday with a mix of sun and cloud. The morning will start off cold at around -20c and then warm up to -8c. Winds are forecast to be Light from the West.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
- Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent variable strong winds have created and added to previous wind slabs that formed in Alpine and Treeline areas. In addition, there are several iterations of buried wind slabs formed in previous wind events down 30 to 50cm in the snowpack.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
The alpine is still variable in total amounts of snow but the basal layers haven't changed. The entire lower half is either facets, or depth hoar. Thin weak areas should be treated as suspect and avoided.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 7th, 2023 4:00PM
