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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 21st, 2021–Apr 22nd, 2021

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

Regions

South Coast Inland.

 Plan your day around avoiding sun-exposed slopes and cornices at peak daytime warming. Wet loose avalanches are possible, especially from southerly slopes and terrain features. 

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing or intensity of solar radiation and its effect on the snowpack. Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

Overnight Wednesday: Mostly clear with some upper-level cloud entering the region. Light northwest wind and freezing levels dropping to 600 m. 

Thursday: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridgetop wind light from the northeast. Alpine temperatures near -2 and freezing levels 1700 m. 

Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light winds from the East. Alpine temperatures near -2 and freezing levels 1600 m.

Saturday: Snow up to 6 cm. Alpine temperatures near -4 and freezing levels 1600 m. 

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, natural wet loose avalanches up to size 1.5 were spotted from steep solar terrain and explosive control work initiated a size 3.5 wet slab from a large South facing avalanche path.

On Monday, wets slabs and glide slabs up to size 3 were reported. Natural wet loose avalanche activity up to size 2 continues with these warm days.

Last weekend, widespread loose wet and cornice activity was still ongoing. The Coquihalla zone also saw glide slabs and wet slabs up to size 3.

Snowpack Summary

A melt-freeze crust exists to the mountain top on solar slopes and up to 2200 m on polar slopes. Above 2200 m on North facing terrain, you may find dry snow and a generally well-settled snowpack. Below treeline elevations, the snowpack has been isothermal but will likely lock up as freezing levels drop. 

Cornices are large and looming along ridgelines. They are weak and very unpredictable. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Avoid slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if they have large cornices overhead.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
  • Keep in mind that wet avalanches can be destructive due to their high density.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.