Avalanche forecast

South Coast

Mar 15 – 16, 2018Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 9 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low

Highlights

Lingering wind slabs remain a concern in the alpine. Exercise increasing caution around solar aspects and lower elevations as loose wet avalanche conditions develop over the day.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5
    Lingering wind slabs will remain a concern in the alpine over the near term. Observations have been limited, so gather info about the depth and reactivity of new snow as you ascend. South aspects become a concern as warming destabilizes surface snow.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Friday: Mainly sunny. Light north winds. Freezing level to 1500 metres with alpine high temperatures around -1 to 0.Saturday: Mainly sunny with increasing cloud in the afternoon and light flurries overnight. Light north winds. Freezing level to 1500 metres with alpine high temperatures around 0 to -1.Sunday: Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light northwest winds. Freezing level to 1300 metres with alpine high temperatures of -2.

Avalanche Summary

No recent notable avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

A mid-week storm brought up to 15 cm of new snow to the alpine while rain saturated the upper snowpack at treeline and below. Surface conditions on solar aspects and below about 1500 metres have seen daily change through melt-freeze cycles. In the limited alpine terrain where the recent precipitation fell as snow, lingering wind slabs will remain a concern over the near term.Below any recent snow accumulations, the overall snowpack is well settled and strong. New cornices formed and old ones grew more overhanging with the snowfall at the end of last week. Cornices become more unstable during the day as the temperature rises.

Regions covered