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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 16th, 2017–Apr 17th, 2017

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Expect the avalanche danger to increase if the sun comes out and the temperature rises through the day.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Overnight: Flurries with moderate easterly winds and freezing down to 500 metres. Monday: Mix of sun and cloud with some convective flurries, moderate southeast winds, and daytime freezing up to 1200 metres. Tuesday: Overcast with light snow and strong southwest winds developing. Expect freezing level to remain below 1000 metres. Wednesday: 3-5 cm with strong southerly winds and daytime freezing up to 1400 metres.

Avalanche Summary

A MIN report from the Babines on Saturday details a size 1 windslab skier accidentally triggered avalanche on a southwest aspect at 2050 metres. You can read the full MIN report here. Exposure to large overhanging cornices remains a significant concern. If the sun comes out expect to see cornices weaken and loose snow avalanches run from steep sun exposed slopes during the warmest parts of the day.

Snowpack Summary

New snow falling last week has been redistributed by south and east wind at upper elevations. This is likely sitting on a hard wind crust in exposed alpine areas and sun crust on aspects facing the sun. Lower elevations are experiencing a melt-freeze cycle and the snowpack is likely moist or wet throughout its entire thickness. A deep persistent weak layer is still lingering near the bottom of the snowpack in all areas. A report from the Babines on Saturday detailed 10-15 cm of recent snow above a supportive crust at treeline. You can read the full MIN report here.

Problems

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.