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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 25th, 2023–Apr 26th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary, Clearwater, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, South Okanagan, Ymir, Shuswap, Kokanee, North Okanagan, Retallack, Valhalla.

With little to no overnight refreeze the avalanche hazard will be elevated from the start of the day. Choose conservative terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche observations are limited this time of year but we are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the high freezing levels in the forecast.

Please help out your fellow backcountry users by filling out a Mountain Information Network report.

Snowpack Summary

Moist or wet snow will likely be found at all elevations and on all aspects. Below treeline the snowpack is quickly diminishing.

The mid- and lower-snowpack is generally well-settled. In some areas, the lower snowpack may have a layer of weak facets near the ground.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy with no precipitation expected. Moderate westerly wind and Freezing levels at or just below mountain tops.

Wednesday

A mix of sun and cloud with a few mm of rain possible. Moderate to strong westerly winds and freezing level rising above mountain tops.

Thursday

Sunny with no new precipitation expected. Moderate to strong northwest winds and freezing level to 3000 m.

Friday

Sunny with no new precipitation expected. Light to moderate westerly winds and freezing levels rising to 3500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.
  • Avoid exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
  • Keep in mind that wet avalanches can be destructive due to their high density.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

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.

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.