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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 11th, 2021–Apr 12th, 2021

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

Regions

South Coast.

Tune in and anticipate the effects of warming as you travel. It will affect increasingly high elevations and shaded aspects over the coming days.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Sunday night: Clear. Light north or northeast winds.

Monday: Sunny. Light to moderate northeast winds, increasing over the day and overnight. Alpine high temperatures around 0 with freezing levels to 1600 metres, remaining elevated overnight.

Tuesday: Sunny. Light to moderate northeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around +5 with freezing levels to 2300 metres, remaining elevated overnight.

Wednesday: Sunny. Light north winds. Alpine high temperatures around +7 with freezing levels to 2400 metres, remaining elevated overnight.

Avalanche Summary

Saturday's MIN was active! Many users in the region and in the neighbouring Sea to Sky and South Coast Inland encountered unstable snow conditions. Avalanche activity appears to have been limited to the depth of our latest storm snow.

Looking forward, Monday's concerns should be limited to lingering wind slabs in steep features at ridgecrest and predictable wet loose activity connected to daytime warming. Tuesday ushers in the start of a dramatic warming trend that will begin to expand the extent of wet loose concerns to higher elevation, more shaded aspects

Snowpack Summary

New surface melt-freeze crusts formed on solar aspects by the end of the day Saturday atop 30-40 cm of new snow, tapering with elevation, that accumulated through Friday night. Moderate to strong winds, varying from southeast to northwest, have left behind varying levels of wind effect on many aspects in open terrain. Overall the new snow appears to have established a solid bond with the previous surfaces of crust and settled storm snow, however isolated slabs in steep, wind loaded features may remain reactive to human triggering. 

Solar warming will break down surface crusts and encourage wet loose releases -both natural and human triggered- each day on solar aspects and increasingly toward shaded alpine terrain as freezing levels march upward over the coming days.

Cornices are large and looming along ridgelines and formed fragile new growth during Friday's storm. Their release is unpredictable, requiring a large berth if you're travelling above or below them. Forecast rising freezing levels will increase the chances of cornice releases.

Terrain and Travel

  • Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.

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.

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.

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.