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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 19th, 2024–Mar 20th, 2024

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 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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, Ymir, Crawford, Moyie, St. Mary, Kokanee, Valhalla.

Very large persistent slab avalanches remain likely to human trigger, especially at treeline and above.

Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Numerous naturally triggered wet loose avalanches up to size 3 (very large) were reported on sunny aspects at all elevations on Monday.

Snowpack Summary

High freezing levels overnight will result in no overnight re-freeze of the snow surface. As a result, the avalanche danger will rise rapidly throughout the day.

A weak layer of surface hoar is down 40-60 cm in isolated, sheltered areas. A widespread crust with sugary facets above is down 80-200 cm. Both of these layers remain the primary concern for triggering large persistent slab avalanches.

Cornices have become large and looming, and are more likely to fail during periods of warming.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

Wednesday

Sunny. 5 to 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with isolated flurries, 0 to 3 cm of snow (above 1400m). 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Friday

Cloudy with isolated flurries, 0 to 5 cm of snow(above 1300 m). 5 to 10 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Keep in mind that human triggering potential persists as natural avalanching tapers off.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • If triggered loose wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Cornice failure may trigger large avalanches.

Problems

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.

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.