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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 9th, 2024–Apr 10th, 2024

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.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Purcells, Esplanade, Dogtooth, East Purcell, West Purcell.

Assess for wind slabs along ridges and in alpine terrain.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Small wind slab avalanches (size 1) were reported on Monday, including a few 10 to 30 cm thick skier-triggered slabs on north and east-facing alpine slopes.

A few small dry loose avalanches were also observed over the past few days

Snowpack Summary

5 to 15 cm of dry snow sits atop melt-freeze layers. Several crusts may be found anywhere from 0 to 30 cm deep, depending on aspect and elevation.

The facet/crust layer that caused large avalanches in March is buried 100 to 150 cm deep. It is unlikely to trigger under the current conditions, but not totally off our radar for the season in high alpine terrain.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear skies. 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Wednesday

Mix of sun and cloud. 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow in the afternoon. 15 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 5 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.

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.