Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 11th, 2019 8:05AM

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

ross campbell, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Storm slabs may develop this afternoon in the Alpine and at Tree line. Isolated pockets of buried wind slabs exist in the Alpine. Expect sluffing in steep terrain to travel fast and far.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Light snowfall this morning and moderate snowfall this afternoon. We could see accumulations of up to 10cm by the end of the day, with some moderate winds from the South West, and the freezing level staying below valley bottom. Another 10cm tonight is forecasted tonight, then a mix of sun and cloud for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

~30cm of recent snow covers 20-30cm of facets, wind slabs, and/or sun crusts up to 3cm thick. Recent moderate southerly winds have deposited isolated pockets of wind slab along ridge lines and cross loaded features. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong.

Avalanche Summary

Approx 5 new avalanches were triggered yesterday by the sun in the HWY corridor. These were loose dry in the morning, turning to loose moist in the afternoon, and ranged from size 1 to 2. Reports of natural loose dry avalanches up to sz 1.5 and skier triggered sz 1 sluffing in steep terrain (40 degree+) from the backcountry.

Confidence

Problems

Storm Slabs

Another 10-15cm of new snow today; plus, the 30cm of recent storm snow and moderate winds, will form soft slabs in the Alpine and exposed areas of tree line. The slabs may be overlying weak faceted snow, old wind slabs, or a sun crust.

Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Loose Dry

The recent snow is unlikely to bond well to crusts and facets, and should be a concern if considering riding steep faces or traveling in confined chutes; manage your sluff accordingly.

Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.Recent snow may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar aspects where it sits on sun crust

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Mar 12th, 2019 8:00AM