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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2024–Apr 13th, 2024

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

Minimize your exposure to steep, south facing slopes.

Rising temperatures will increase the potential for wet avalanches. Hazard is expected to reach considerable on sun affected slopes.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday reactive slabs were observed on all steep slopes, reactive to human triggers. On Saturday, we expect sunshine and warm temperatures to create ideal conditions for wet snow avalanches.

If you head into the backcountry, please submit any observations or photos to the Mountain Information Network, observations are limited in the spring.

Snowpack Summary

15-30 cm of recent snowfall is moist to wet from warm temperatures and sun. This snow will likely slide easily on the widespread crust below.

Below treeline elevations have minimal snow cover, if any at all. Expect challenging travel conditions with hazards like rocks, stumps and open creeks.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Clear skies. 10-20 km/h westerly ridgetop wind. Freezing level climbs overnight to 2300 m.

Saturday

Sunny. 10-15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature reaches a high of +9 °C. Freezing level remains around 2500 m.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 20-40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +3 °C. Freezing level drops over the day to 2000 m.

Monday

Mostly sunny. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level around 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid sun exposed slopes, especially if snow surface is moist or wet.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.

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.

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.