Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 4th, 2015 9:11AM

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

bcorrigan, Avalanche Canada

South Coast.

Caution should be used when venturing into big terrain. Buried weak layers are still capable of producing large destructive avalanches.Daytime warming may push the hazard higher than forecast.

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

5 to 10cm of cm throughout the day today, then another light pulse of moisture through Sunday evening and into Monday morning.Â Monday afternoon the skies should clear and bring sun to the South Coast Inland region.Â Daytime heating will bring the freezing level up to around 1500m for the forecast period, then climb to over 2000m later in the week.

Avalanche Summary

Moist loose avalanches reported on solar aspects below 1900m.Â No other reports from the area.

Snowpack Summary

20-30 cm of low density storm snow is sitting on a strong and supportive rain crust that was buried last Saturday and extends as high as 2100m. West through southwesterly winds have shifted these new accumulations into touchy wind slabs in exposed lee terrain, especially high NE aspects. A facet/crust persistent weakness that was buried in mid-March is now approximately 50-100 cm down. In recent snowpack tests, it was found down 55 cm near the Duffey Lake Road and produced moderate sudden results. This remains the chief concern amongst avalanche professionals in the region because of it's potential for very large avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

High NE aspects have accumulated snow in the form of wind slabs from recent precipitation and SW winds.

Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.>Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Persistent Slabs

This persistent weak layer is still of concern and is capable of producing large destructive avalanches.

Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>Be aware of the potential for large, deep avalanches.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

3 - 5

Valid until: Apr 5th, 2015 2:00PM