Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 19th, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Loose Dry.
Kate Ryan,
There have been many recent incidents of skiers getting surprised by reactive slabs on steep, solar features.
Assess your line carefully and avoid convex rolls until this problem stabilizes.
Summary
Weather Forecast
This evening's power flurry (up to 10cm) will ease later tonight through Sunday as a ridge moves through the province.
Tonight: Flurries, trace accumulations. Low -12*C, Freezing level (fzl) 500m. Moderate W wind.
Sun: Mix of sun and cloud. High -10*C, fzl 1000m, mod W wind
Mon: Flurries (trace), low -10*C, high -6*C, fzl 1500m, mod SW wind
Snowpack Summary
Incoming new snow adds to the 45-70cm of settled snow received since Mar 11th. Solar aspects treeline and below have a series of buried suncrusts (the most recent - Mar 11th and 7th - may sandwich weak, sugary snow between them). On shaded aspects, spotty small surface hoar may be buried down ~70cm (March 7), down 90cm (Feb 26), and >1m (Feb 15).
Avalanche Summary
A cornice failure on the north side of Mt Cheops triggered a persistent slab lower in the path, sometime in the last 36 hrs.
On Friday, there was a report of a skier involvement in a size 2 slab avalanche in steep terrain in Puff Daddy, and several size 1 slabs in Ursus trees and Rogers Run - all failing on the Mar 11th suncrust.
Confidence
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Although natural avalanche activity has been tapering, the Mar 11th suncrust is proving touchy to skier triggering on steep solar slopes.
Small surface hoar from Mar 7th may also be lingering on Northerly aspects.
- The new snow will require several days to settle and stabilize.
- Evaluate terrain features by digging and testing on adjacent, safe slopes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Dry
This afternoon's power-flurry will freshen up the loose dry problem in steep terrain.
- On steep slopes, pull over periodically or cut into a new line to manage sluffing.
- Avoid terrain traps, such as gullies, where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 20th, 2022 4:00PM
