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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2024–Apr 20th, 2024

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.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Purcells, South Rockies, Dogtooth, East Purcell, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Isolated wind slabs may be lingering near ridgetops and in extreme terrain.

Prepare for changing conditions at various elevations and with sun exposure throughout the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday, explosives triggered a few slab avalanches up to size 1.5 near Golden. Skiers were also able to ski cult small avalanches in the same area. Additionally, a large (size 2) naturally triggered wind slab was observed on a north facing alpine slope near the Bugaboos.

Reports indicate that the recent storm snow is mostly bonding to the underlying crust, but small isolated wind slabs may exist in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

A cold front earlier in the week delivered variable snowfall amounts across the region. Expect anywhere from 10 to 25 cm of settled storm snow overlying a hard crust on shady aspects in the alpine. In isolated areas this snow may have formed wind slabs.

Steep sunny slopes and lower elevations now have a new surface crust that is expected to turn moist or wet again in the heat of the day.

Below this, the snowpack consists of various melt-freeze crust layers, and the lower snowpack contains old weak layers that are no longer concerning.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Clear. 10 to 20 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Saturday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 2100 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 0 to 8 cm of snow possible. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1700 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 25 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.

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.