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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 10th, 2021–Mar 11th, 2021

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

Regions

South Columbia.

Wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggers in isolated locations below alpine ridgetops. Sheltered, north facing terrain at upper elevations is likely to provide the best riding, but minimize exposure to slopes with large cornices overhead.

Confidence

High - We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

Weather Forecast

  

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy / Light, west ridgetop wind / alpine low temperature -14 / Freezing level valley bottom.

THURSDAY: Sunny / Light, northwest ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature -2 / Freezing level 1300 m.

FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light, west ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature 1 / Freezing level 1700 m.

SATURDAY: Sunny / Moderate, southwest ridgetop wind / alpine high temperature 4 / Freezing level rapidly rising to 2500 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, there was a report of naturally triggered size 2 cornice and a couple skier triggered slab avalanches up to size 1.5 on north and east aspects in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 25 cm dry soft snow can be found on shaded aspects above around 1500 m. On south-facing slopes and at lower elevations expect crusty snow in the morning and soft, moist snow in the afternoon. Winds have slackened off as of late, but recent wind slabs and cornices still pose a hazard close to steep ridgelines.

The lower snowpack has strengthened over the past week as previous persistent weak layers have become unreactive. The main layers that we had been tracking were a layer of facets that was buried in mid-February (50-100 cm deep) and a layer of surface hoar and/or a crust that was buried in late January (80-120 cm deep).

Terrain and Travel

  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Caution around slopes that are exposed to cornices overhead.

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.