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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 7th, 2023–Apr 8th, 2023

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

Regions

South Rockies, St. Mary, Bull, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Continue to use good travel habits, and use extra caution around thin, rocky start zones.

New, reactive wind slabs could be building below ridgetops and in cross-loaded gully features.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported before 4 pm on Friday.

On Wednesday, a Mountain Information Network (MIN) post from the Bootleg area, west of Kimberly, reported several small (size 1) windslab avalanches below ridgetops. See more details here.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

5-10 cm of new snow may now cover dry snow that remains on shaded (northerly) slopes, and moist snow or thin crusts on solar aspects. Near valley bottom, rain will be wetting the surface snow.

The mid snowpack contains layers of surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain, old crusts on south-facing slopes, and a layer of facets buried in mid-January. No recent avalanches have occurred on these layers.

The lower snowpack includes a layer of large, weak facets and/or depth hoar crystals.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a chance of isolated flurries. Light southwest ridgetop wind, trending to moderate at higher elevations. Freezing level 2000-2500 m. Treeline temperature around -1°C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow expected in the alpine, but only a trace around Elkford. Light southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at higher elevations. Snow line around 1500 m. Treeline temperature around -3°C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. No new snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at higher elevations. Freezing level around 2300 m.

Monday

Cloudy. Rain likely to mountaintops. 15-20 mm West of Kimberly, isolated areas of 30mm+, 5 mm around Elkford. Freezing level rising to 2500 m. Light southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at higher elevations.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.