Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2022–Apr 13th, 2022

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

Regions

Sea To Sky.

Wind slabs may be found in steep terrain in the alpine.

Confidence

High - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.

Weather Forecast

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 2 to 10 cm, 20 to 40 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -11 C.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, 10 to 20 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -10 C.

THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, 10 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -9 C.

FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with afternoon snowfall, accumulation 2 to 5 cm, 10 km/h south wind, alpine temperature -9 C.

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche activity on Sunday and Monday was limited to cornice failures, releasing naturally or by explosives. Best to stay well back of cornices when travelling on ridges, as they are very large at this time of year and could fail from your weight.

Looking forward, riders could trigger pockets of wind slabs in steep terrain features at higher elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Around 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected to accumulate by Wednesday morning with associated northeast wind. Thin new wind slabs may be found in steep, lee terrain features in the alpine. This snow builds on previous dry snow that overlies a hard melt-freeze crust buried 10 to 30 cm. The melt-freeze crust likely remains on the surface at lower elevations.

Various melt-freeze crusts exist in the upper to middle snowpack, which reports suggest are bonding well. There are no deeper concerns at this time.

Terrain and Travel

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.