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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 11th, 2013–Apr 12th, 2013

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

Regions

South Rockies.

Due to a lack of information sources at this time of year, this forecast is based primarily on weather data. If you have been traveling in the backcountry recently, send us your observations. Email us at [email protected]

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations for the entire period

Weather Forecast

Friday: Mainly overcast with some sunny breaks early in the day. Clouds increasing in the afternoon with light precipitation possible. Freezing level 1000m and strong southwest winds.Saturday: Light to moderate precipitation possible with the passage of a cold front. Freezing level 1400m. Winds moderate from the west.Sunday: A cold and unstable airmass will bring a mixed bag of weather conditions. Cool temperatures, mainly overcast with some sunny breaks and possible snow showers.

Avalanche Summary

Loose wet or moist snow is expected to continue to release naturally from steep terrain or rocky areas at lower elevations if temperatures rise and the sun comes out.

Snowpack Summary

Overnight freezing has consolidated previously loose wet snow at treeline and above. Recent moderate winds may have developed windslabs at upper elevations. Surface crusts are expected to break down during the day and then re-freeze overnight. Moist or wet snow below treeline is not expected to have much of a recovery and may continue to be isothermal and weak.

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.

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.