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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2016–Apr 3rd, 2016

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

Regions

Glacier.

Warm weather avalanche problems like cornices and loose wet slides will remain front and center until we get a real overnight refreeze.

Weather Forecast

Although the morning started off clear and sunny, cloud is forecast to move in today. Freezing levels rise to 2400m this afternoon with an alpine high of 3. Temperatures are poised to remain high until Monday when we will see an overnight refreeze and a return to "classic" spring conditions.

Snowpack Summary

Temperatures remained above freezing last night at treeline and in the alpine. At treeline the top meter of snow is isothermal and moist. Surface crusts forming overnight are weak and break down quickly. Multiple crusts in the top meter of the snowpack provide sliding surfaces. Dry snow exists on steep N aspects in the high Alpine.

Avalanche Summary

Large loose wet avalanches continued to be observed, triggered by strong solar input during the heat of the day. Artillery avalanche control produced 2 large loose wet avalanches on solar aspects, running well into the run-out zones of their paths.

Confidence

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.