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 24th, 2022–Apr 25th, 2022

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

Regions

North Columbia.

Carefully assess the wind slab hazard as you gain elevation. New wind slabs could form throughout the day.

Confidence

Moderate - The snowpack structure is generally well understood.

Weather Forecast

Sunday night: no new snow expected. Moderate south wind and freezing level falling to 1300 m.

Monday: Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of new snow expected. Freezing level around 2100 m. Moderate south wind.

Tuesday: Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of new snow expected. Light to moderate variable winds and freezing levels around 1800 m.

Wednesday: Stormy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow expected with moderate southwest winds. Freezing level around 1700 m.

Avalanche Summary

Natural wet loose avalanches up to size two have been observed on all aspects and elevations except high north facing terrain over the past few days. We suspect that small wet loose avalanches will continue to be observed due to high freezing levels.

Snowpack Summary

Dry snow and pockets of wind slab can still be found on high north facing terrain. The upper snowpack contains several crusts that extend to mountain tops on solar aspects. Moist snow will likely be observed at treeline and belowterrain.

Cornices are very large and exposure to slopes beneath them should be minimized, especially if the weather is sunny, warm, or windy. The snowpack deteriorates rapidly at lower elevations.

Terrain and Travel

  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.

Problems

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.

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.