Avalanche Forecast

Issued: May 1st, 2014 8:00AM

The alpine rating is high, the treeline rating is high, and the below treeline rating is considerable. Known problems include Loose Wet, Persistent Slabs and Cornices.

chris gooliaff, Parks Canada

Glacier.

There was no overnight freeze and the sun is currently baking East and South aspects. Today is not a good day to go skiing.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Today we will see freezing levels stay near 3400m, then dropping to 3000m overnight. There will be a gradual increase in cloud cover throughout the day, and we should expect to see scattered showers with freezing levels around 3000m tomorrow. No, that does not sound good for ski quality nor avalanche danger!

Snowpack Summary

There was no overnight refreeze of the surface crust, with alpine temperatures remaining well above freezing through the night. Expect the surface conditions to be soft, at best, and isothermal in many places. East, South, and West aspects will be isothermal today and should be avoided.

Avalanche Summary

Loose avalanches to size 3 were observed in the late afternoon and overnight in the highway corridor, many of them scrubbing down to ground. These wet avalanches have a lot of power behind them and will continue to fail with the warm temperatures.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose isothermal slides are likely to be triggered naturally today, especially as the sunshine hits the slopes and warms them even further.

Avoid exposure to sun exposed slopes.Start and finish early before the surface crusts melt.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Persistent Slabs

Without the surface crust to hold things together, the loose wet slides that will likely release today have a good chance to dig down to the weaker layers. Expect larger avalanches stepping down in the snowpack today.

Be aware of the potential for full depth avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

3 - 4

Cornices

The Spring-time cornices are very large and, given that they have been baking in the warmth for the last 36 hours, are becoming weak. These monster-trucks perched on the ridge crests have the potential to trigger large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: May 2nd, 2014 8:00AM