Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 9th, 2019 8:00AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Dry.

mark herbison, Parks Canada

Glacier.

If the sun shines today, expect point release avalanches within the new snow on steep, rocky terrain features.Pockets of wind slab exists in the alpine and expect the sluffing to be fast and travel far.Good snow quality exists at tree line and above.

Summary

Weather Forecast

A mixed bag of cloud, periods of sun and a chance of isolated flurries today. The alpine with reach -10 with light ridgetop winds from the West. Freezing level will hovering around 1000m. Snow and increasing winds arriving Monday and lasting through Tuesday with 10-20cm of snow forecasted.

Snowpack Summary

Another 12cm brings the storm snow total to ~30cm which now covers surface facets and sun crusts. The West end of the Park saw twice as much snow yesterday as the East side. Moderate southerly winds have deposited pockets of wind slab along ridge lines and cross loaded features. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong.

Avalanche Summary

Yesterday saw numerous slab avalanches from the MacDonald Gullies (2, 3, 6, 9 and 12) up to sz 2.5. Expect to find pockets of newly formed wind slab in the alpine and exposed tree line areas. No reports from the backcountry other than fast sluffing in steep terrain.

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

30cm of recent snow and moderate Southerly winds have formed wind slabs along lee and cross loaded features. The slabs may be overlying weak faceted snow so watch for shooting cracks, settlements and hollow sounds from the snowpack.

Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, West, North West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Dry

The recent snow is not likely to bond well to crusts and facets and should be a concern if considering riding steep faces, skiing above cliffs or traveling in confined chutes. If the sun shines today watch for point releases from steep, rocky areas.

Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.Recent snow may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar aspects where it sits on sun crust

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Mar 10th, 2019 9:00AM