Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 25th, 2015–Mar 26th, 2015

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

Regions

Glacier.

The upper snowpack is touchy and complex. Layers in the top meter are sensitive to human triggering. Avalanche danger is expected to rise as another warm, wet and windy storm moves into the region late today.

Weather Forecast

Flurries have started as a warm storm approaches. By thurs morning we will see 5-10cm with freezing levels to 1800m and gusty SW winds. On Thursday freezing levels will rise to 2800m with rain/flurries. Alpine temps are forecast to reach +4'C with moderate SW winds. Friday will be similar; the low is +1'C with continued showers and winds to 75km/h.

Snowpack Summary

50cm of storm snow above 1800m and is settling into a slab. Below the storm slab is a complex mix of crusts, facetted snow and surface hoar which have been reactive to skier triggering. A facetted layer sitting on a crust down ~65cm and is easily triggered at treeline. Tests on this layer indicate that if triggered avalanches can propagate widely.

Avalanche Summary

Conditions are touchy at treeline. Convex rolls are reactive to ski cuts, triggering 65cm deep slabs. Loose snow sluffing off cliffs has been triggering similar slabs. Yesterday strong solar in the afternoon triggered a size 2 in "Frequent Flyer" up Connaught, which ran into the avalanche fan stopping above the uptrack.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.