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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 9th, 2014–Mar 10th, 2014

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Glacier.

With current large natural avalanches running, heavy warm/moist storm snow and restricted access, today might be better spent at the local resorts.

Weather Forecast

A pacific frontal system will bring moderate snow today with freezing levels rising to 1500m and strong SW ridge top winds.  Freezing levels will fall slightly as precipitation tapers out tonight and into Monday.  With a dry day forecast for Tuesday as a high pressure ridge builds in from the west.

Snowpack Summary

30cm/30mm of precip have fallen in the last 24 hrs with mild temperatures. This builds the storm slab to around 80 cm, sitting over lighter, cooler snow. This lies on top of suncrusts and windslab. The new slab is failing with easy to moderate results within the new snow, as well as at the old interface. The Jan 28/Feb 10 PWL is down 1.5-2m.

Avalanche Summary

We have the start of an natural avalanche cycle early this morning, which will continue today. Several size 2-3 natural avalanches were observed along the highway corridor as alpine wind speeds pick up. Reports indicate that the storm slab is reactive to skier triggering on steep, convex features with remote triggering a possibility.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

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.

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.