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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2019–Apr 20th, 2019

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, 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.

If temperatures remain warm, rain soaked wet slabs releasing on crust layers are still possible.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY NIGHT: Clearing / Light, northwesterly winds / Alpine low 0 C / Freezing level 2000 m.

SATURDAY: Sunny / Light, northwesterly winds / Alpine high 5 C / Freezing level 2100 m.

SUNDAY: Sunny / Light, northwesterly winds / Alpine high 8 C / Freezing level 2500 m.

MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light, southwesterly winds / Alpine high 9 C / Freezing level 2600 m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported in this region on Thursday. However, avalanche activity is expected to increase on Friday with the forecast rain to mountain-tops.

On Tuesday, a party skiing near Kootenay Pass reported "whumphing" on solar aspects near ridgetops and triggered a size 2 storm slab avalanche sitting on a crust on a north aspect at around 2000 m. See the MIN report HERE.

On Sunday, a skier triggered a small size 1 wind slab that then stepped-down and triggered a size 2.5 persistent slab avalanche on a northwest aspect in the alpine. See the MIN report HERE.

Snowpack Summary

Rain to mountain-tops Thursday night has soaked 20-40 cm of recent snow and initiated a loose wet avalanche cycle at treeline and above.

Below treeline, the snow is disappearing rapidly.

Problems

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

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.