Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 14th, 2014 8:22AM

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

dean flick, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Hazard levels can change very quickly to high today. If the sun comes out stronger than expected and the solid crust you've been traveling on starts to get soft and moist, you may want to change your route if it goes through exposed terrain.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Today a mix of sun and cloud with light to moderate winds out of the SW. Precip will be nil. Freezing level around 2200m. Tonight a weak low pressure system moves in bringing trace amounts of precip for the next two days with freezing levels around 1400m. Wednesday may see some sunny breaks.

Snowpack Summary

Spring melt freeze conditions are causing the surface to be very solid in the morning on areas that were exposed to strong solar and warming. The crusts yesterday seemed to be breaking down later in the afternoon. A variety of crusts exist in the top meter of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack there exists persistent layers that remain a concern.

Avalanche Summary

Yesterday the temperatures stayed fairly cool in the alpine, despite the strong presence of the sun. Combined with light wind, this kept the surface crusts not breaking down until later in the afternoon. A small cycle of loose moist avalanches to size 2.0 started around14:00 and there are likely some from yesterday that we have not observed yet.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Problems

Loose Wet

Later in the afternoon, loose moist/wet avalanches may start to come down if the sun is out and there is no cloud cover.

Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet.Start and finish early before the surface crusts melt.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Storm Slabs

If the sun has been baking slopes, there is the possibility of a slab avalanche failing on buried crusts. In the alpine slab avalanches could be triggered on lee North apects.

Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

The Feb 10 layer is the monster that can be triggered by heavy loads. It is still a 3-5cm thick sandwich complex layer of SH, FC and crusts.

Be aware of the potential for full depth avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Apr 15th, 2014 8:00AM