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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 8th, 2024–Apr 11th, 2024

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

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

A blip of new snow coming on Tuesday with strong winds will form new reactive windslabs. Despite it being spring, winter conditions still exist at higher elevations and northerly aspects.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Numerous wet loose avalanches to size 2 were observed on steep solar slopes the past few days.

Snowpack Summary

15 - 30 cm of new snow from this past weekend has become moist at and below treeline and is refreezing overnight. This along with windslab in the alpine sits on an older melt-freeze crust at all aspects and elevations. The Feb 3rd crust/facet weak layer is buried 60-120 cm deep. Below this, the snowpack consists of a mixture of settled snow and crust/facet layers to ground. Snowpack depths between 80 - 250 cm.

Weather Summary

Tues

5-10 cm snow overnight and into the day Tues. Wind 30-50 km/hr from the SW and freezing level rising to 2000 m.

Wed

Mainly sunny, wind NW becoming SW 10-20 km/hr. Freezing level rising to 2200 m.

Thurs

Freezing level 2500 m. Light southwest wind.

For more info: Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.

Problems

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.

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.