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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 24th, 2021–Apr 26th, 2021

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

Regions

Yukon.

The Spring cycle continues and there is potential for freezing levels to rise higher on Sunday

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to rapidly fluctuating freezing levels.

Weather Forecast

SATURDAY NIGHT: light north wind, -6C, clear and starry. 

SUNDAY: Clear skies, 20 km/h north wind, alpine temperature 2 C, freezing level 2000 m.

MONDAY: Clear skies, 10 km/h north wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1500 m.

TUESDAY: Cloudy, 20km/hr wind starting south and shifting to north, -4 C, 5cm new snow

Avalanche Summary

The recent cool air temperature has quieted avalanche activity. No new avalanche observations were made in the past few days. That said, freezing levels are forecast to go slightly higher on Sunday (2000m). If this occurs, cornices and solar aspects that did not avalanche during previous warming periods could once again become reactive.  

A big THANK YOU to all of you that provided us and fellow recreationists with observations this season. Please continue to do so if you head out!

Snowpack Summary

A dusting of snow overlies a hard melt-freeze crust to the mountain tops. The snow surface will moisten during the heat of the day, particularly on sun-exposed slopes and on all aspects below the freezing level. Moistened snow will subsequently freeze during overnight periods. Cornices are large and could weaken during daytime warming.

The White Pass area has a deep snowpack without any layers of concern. A thinner and weaker snowpack exists in inland regions, such as the Wheaton Valley.

Terrain and Travel

  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating.
  • Firm cornices can pull back into flat terrain at ridgetop if they fail.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

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.