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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 18th, 2024–Apr 19th, 2024

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

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

Isolated storm slabs may be lingering in the alpine.

Adjust your travel plans accordingly to the changing conditions of elevation and sun exposure at different times of the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Wednesday - Explosives triggered a few slab avalanches up to size 1.5 near Golden. A large (size 2) naturally triggered wind slab was also observed on a north facing alpine slope near the Bugaboos.

Reports indicate that the recent storm snow seems to be bonding quickly to the underlying crust, but that human triggering may remain possible - especially in areas that received 20 cm or more of new snow.

Snowpack Summary

A recent cold front delivered variable snowfall amounts across the region. Expect anywhere from 10 to 25 cm of settled storm snow that may be poorly bonded to an underlying crust in the upper alpine.

Steep sunny slopes and lower elevations may have a surface crust or turn moist 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

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with isolated flurries possible. 20 to 30 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Friday

Sunny. 5 to 15 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1400 - 1600 m.

Saturday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 0 to 4 cm of snow possible. 25 to 35 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 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.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
  • As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.