Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 3rd, 2022–Mar 4th, 2022

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Northwest Inland.

It's going to get sunny and warm over the weekend. This is a good time to pay close attention to what is above you. Look up!

Confidence

High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern; little change is expected for several days.

Weather Forecast

The sun will come out and freezing levels will rise through the weekend.

Thursday night: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Winds light from the south. -7°C overnight in the alpine.

Friday: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Light, variable winds. A high of 0°C and a low of -6°C in the alpine. Freezing levels to 1200m

Saturday: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Light winds from the north. A high of +2°C and a low of -6°C in the alpine. Freezing levels to 1700m

Sunday: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Light winds from the north. A high of +5°C and a low of -5°C in the alpine. Freezing levels could rise as high as 2400m.

Avalanche Summary

Our field team reported two size 2 avalanches on north facing slopes that had been triggered by cornice collapses on Thursday.

Numerous wet loose avalanches at lower elevations were reported also.

Snowpack Summary

40-60cm of well settled and bonded snow sits above the mid-February crust. Though this layer has not produced avalanche activity, professionals in the area are still treating it with suspicion. I encourage you to do the same. The upper snowpack is moist below 1500m due to warm temperatures. Cornices are looming in alpine areas.

The lower snowpack is well bridged by the mid-February crust and triggering avalanches below this layer is unlikely at this time.

Terrain and Travel

As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
Cornices may release remotely when approached.
Avoid exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead.
Cornice failure may trigger large avalanches.

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.