Avalanche forecast

South Coast

Apr 8 – 9, 2015Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Stick to higher shady slopes for the best snow, but keep the persistent slab problem in mind when choosing your line.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Daytime warming and sunshine could weaken large overhanging cornices and cause them to fail. These are a hazard alone, but also a potential trigger for deeper weak layers.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–5
    A couple persistent weak layers are still present in the upper snowpack. These have not been reactive for a few days now, but intense spring sun or cornice falls could be enough to reawaken this problem. 

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Expect loose wet activity on steep sun-exposed slopes during the day.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Mainly sunny. The freezing level climbs to around 2000-2200 m during the day and drops below 1500 m overnight. Winds are light and variable. Friday: Increasing cloud with snow possible late. The freezing level lowers to 1800 m and winds increase to moderate or strong from the S-SW. Saturday: Cloudy with periods of snow. The freezing level continues downward to around 1200-1400 m and winds are moderate from the SW.

Avalanche Summary

Moist loose avalanches have been reported on steep sun-exposed slopes, and one natural cornice fall (size 2) was reported on Monday. This cornice did not trigger a slab on the slope below.

Snowpack Summary

On shady slopes, 15-25 cm of cold low-density snow sits on a strong and supportive rain crust that was buried last Saturday and extends as high as 2100m. Expect an ongoing melt-freeze cycle on sun-exposed slopes. A facet/crust layer that was buried in mid-March is now approximately 50-100 cm down. Recently it was found down 55 cm near the Duffey Lake Road, and produced moderate sudden results. This remains a concern in the region because of it's potential for very large avalanches. Cornices are now large and mature and may collapse with daytime warming and intense sunshine.

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