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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 31st, 2016–Apr 1st, 2016

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

A Special Public Avalanche Warning is in effect due to intense warming.

Weather Forecast

Hot weather continues through the weekend, with the freezing level around 2800 m. A brief disturbance on Saturday may bring some cloud, increasing westerly winds, and localised convective showers.

Avalanche Summary

A natural cycle of size 1-2 loose wet and wet slab avalanches continued on Thursday. Similar activity is expected until temperatures cool.

Snowpack Summary

On shaded slopes above 2000 m you may still find cold winter snow (and unicorns), which is reported to be settled and faceted on sheltered slopes, and wind-affected in exposed areas. Warm temperatures have promoted a daily melt-freeze cycle on all other snow surfaces. Cornices are large and looming and have become increasingly weak with the sunny weather. In the upper snowpack you'll likely find a few hard crusts which exist everywhere except on high, north-facing terrain. The late February surface hoar/ crust interface (down 80 to 130 cm) remains a low probability/ high consequence concern. Test results are variable, with occasional sudden planar (pop) results. While generally becoming unlikely to trigger, this layer could produce surprisingly large and destructive avalanches with a cornice fall or warm temperatures.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.