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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 6th, 2015–Apr 7th, 2015

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

Regions

South Rockies.

Snowpack and avalanche observations are becoming scarce. If you've been in the backcountry, please tell us what you've seen here on the Mountain Information Network.

Confidence

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Weather Forecast

A ridge of high pressure moves over the interior on Tuesday and should be the dominant feature for the rest of the week. On Tuesday, a mix of sun and cloud is expected with light alpine winds and freezing levels reaching around 2000m in the afternoon. Isolated convective flurries are possible. Mostly sunny conditions with light alpine winds are expected for Wednesday and Thursday. Freezing levels are forecast to reach around 2000m on Wednesday and 2300m on Thursday.

Avalanche Summary

Observations are becoming very limited as we enter spring. If you're out in the mountains, please consider posting your observations to our webpage. In the Lizard range on Saturday and Sunday, loose sluffing was reported from steep features.  Also in the Lizard on Saturday, ski cutting produced small soft slab avalanches in wind loaded features. With freezing levels rising and lots of sun expected on Tuesday, lots of natural sluffing is expected from steep sun-exposed slopes. Cornices will become weaker than they have been for the last week and may fail naturally. Wind slabs in the alpine are expected to be sensitive to human-triggering. Reverse loading may have occurred and wind slabs should be expected in leeward features on all aspects.

Snowpack Summary

10-20cm of recent snow overlies a widespread and supportive melt-freeze crust. Recent strong winds may have redistributed the surface snow resulting in wind slab formation in the alpine and exposed areas at treeline. Large cornices exist in the alpine and may become weak with daytime warming. The mid-March rain crust is down 35 to 70cm and has shown a good bond with snow above. Old persistent weak layers are still intact in the mid and lower snowpack and there may be potential for these layers to wake up with a big cornice fall, sustained warming and/or a significant rain event.

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.

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.