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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2013–Apr 13th, 2013

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Due to a lack of information sources at this time of year, this forecast is based primarily on weather data. If you have been traveling in the backcountry recently, send us your observations. Email us at [email protected]

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations for the entire period

Weather Forecast

Saturday: Moderate precipitation possible through the overnight period Friday to Saturday with the passage of a cold front. Freezing level 1300m. Winds strong from the southwest switching to moderate west.Sunday and Monday: A broad upper trough of low pressure brings unsettled conditions. Mainly cloudy with the chance for light to locally moderate convective precipitation. Freezing level to remain at 1300m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported. Pockets of wind slab may be triggered by skiers or riders at higher elevations.

Snowpack Summary

40-60cm of moist new snow has fallen at 1800m elevation and above in last 5 days. This new snow sits on a crust at upper elevations. The snowpack continues to be moist or wet below this crust. Recent moderate to strong winds may have created wind slabs in alpine leeward slopes. Cooler temperatures may have may have frozen the wet and isothermic snow surface into a crust at lower elevations. Expect these crusts to break down quickly as temperatures rise during the day.

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.

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.