Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 1st, 2024 4:00PM

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

Avalanche Canada TH, Avalanche Canada

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Temperatures are on the rise.

A weak freeze is possible overnight Monday.

Increased winds Tuesday will encourage slab development.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Another slab was remote triggered from 50m today in the Purple Bowl at Lake Louise. The slab was reprorted to be 50cm deep and 75m wide. This would be a northwest aspect at around 2500m and would be skier's right of a similar event triggered on the February 3rd layer just over a week ago.

Otherwise a few loose wet events out of steep rocky terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 35 cm of snow over old sun crusts on solar aspects, with new solar crusts forming. On polar aspects, this snow sits over a layer of stellars/spotty surface hoar crystals and is worth monitoring.

Our main concern is shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects where no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack is thinner/weaker. Triggering the Feb 3 facet/crust layer and basal depth hoar remains possible.

Deeper snowpack areas have few concerns.

Weather Summary

Upper level temperatures will increase through the night Monday as a warm system approaches. Some clouds develop with moderate westerly winds.

Tuesday temperatures will spike to around 5C at treeline and winds increase to strong SW. A cold front sweeps south bringing rain that will turn to snow overnight.

Wednesday: Winds will fade as temperatures drop.

Click here for more weather info.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
  • Use caution on large alpine slopes, especially around thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilities.

Problems

Loose Wet

An icon showing Loose Wet

Warming temperatures should result in weak freezes overnight Monday. Solar inputs will likely be the main driver Tuesday with most activity on steep solar and rocky slopes but expect deterioration at lower elevations on shaded slopes as well.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

Winds have started to redistribute the recent storm snow with small slabs already developed. As winds increase Tuesday expect this process to accelerate.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Persistent Slabs

The Feb 3 crust/facet interface is down 70-110 cm. In shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects this layer remains sensitive to skiers, with remote triggering observed in several instances. All the recent avalanches that initiated on this layer stepped down to the basal facets / ground.

Aspects: North, North East, North West.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Apr 2nd, 2024 4:00PM