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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 7th, 2023–Apr 8th, 2023

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

Regions

Lizard-Flathead, Akamina, Flathead, Lizard, Moyie.

Before committing to your line, check for signs of windslab instability like shooting cracks, or fresh avalanches.

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

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Recent reports of avalanche activity have been limited to small (size 1) loose snow avalanches in steep, alpine features.

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. Below 1700 m, rain will be wetting the surface, which is a crust in most places.

The mid-snowpack is generally well-settled.

The lower snowpack includes a layer of weak sugary crystals near the ground. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area, but professionals continue to monitor for signs of it becoming active.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected. Snow line falling to 1500 m. Treeline low around -3°C. Moderate southwest ridgetop winds.

Saturday

Cloudy. 0-5 cm of snow expected. Snow line rises through the day to 1700 m. Moderate southwest ridgetop winds, trending to strong at higher elevations.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. No new snow/rain expected. Freezing level rising to 2500 m. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at higher elevations.

Monday

Mostly cloudy. 20-30 mm of rain around the Fernie area, 5-10 mm elsewhere. Snow line starts the day at 2000m and rises to 2500. Moderate to strong southwest ridgetop wind, trending to extreme at high elevations.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Pay attention to isolated alpine features as well as cross-loaded features at treeline.
  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

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.