The best riding and lowest avalanche danger will be in low-angle meadows and clearings that are out of the wind. Avoid being on or under any steep snowy slopes that are exposed to the wind.
New snow and strong to extreme winds are creating dense slabs that will likely avalanche on their own or under the weight of a human. Avalanches could occur well below ridges and in cross-loaded gullies and run into flat terrain below.
Transport truck sized cornices were looming over slopes on Thursday, with falling chunks triggering avalanches on the slopes below. That problem is only likely to get worse with the forecasted snow and wind.
On Thursday in the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park, our field team saw evidence of several large (size 2) wind slab avalanches triggered by cornices falling on the slope below.
See their MIN (Mountain Information Network) post for photos and more information, as well as their Instagram post for a video of one.
Looking forward to Saturday, we expect that natural and human triggered avalanches will be likely on any steep slopes, especially those that are wind-loaded.
60-100 cm of new snow is forecasted to have accumulated from Friday morning until Saturday evening. With strong to extreme wind in the hills, fresh, reactive wind slabs will likely form on leeward (east and southeast) slopes on Saturday.
The mid and lower snowpack are generally dense and strong.
Recent wind has varied in direction, but the general trend this season has been sustained west and northwest wind, so expect slopes facing that prevailing wind to have thin or no snow cover. The snowpack in loaded bowls and gullies on south and east facing slopes may be 300 to 500 cm deep.
Sheltered areas may hold 150 cm of snow or more.
Friday Night
Cloudy with 15 to 30 cm of snow. 70 to 90 km/h west or northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy with 15 to 30 cm of snow. Ridgetop wind easing to 50 to 70 km/h west or northwest. Treeline low -13 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline low -9 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 70 to 80 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline low -4 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
