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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 13th, 2024–Mar 14th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

Purcells, Dogtooth, East Purcell.

Watch for changing conditions with sun and warm temperatures.

Avoid traveling in or under large, open slopes, buried weak layers remain capable of producing large avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, west of Golden, a large naturally triggered persistent slab avalanche was reported on a northwest aspect in rocky, alpine terrain.

Avalanches like this continue to be reported every couple of days, and even bigger avalanches were occurring more frequently last week.

Looking forward, we are expecting persistent avalanche problems to become worse with rising temperatures and intense spring sun.

Snowpack Summary

15-30 cm of low density snow sits over sun crusts on south facing slopes, wind-affected snow at higher elevations, and small surface hoar crystals on settling snow elsewhere. In wind exposed terrain, new cornices and wind slabs have continued to form. With sunny skies and rising freezing levels, expect to see more moist or wet snow on the surface as the day goes on.

A widespread crust is buried roughly 80-120 cm deep. Weak faceted crystals and surface hoar above this crust are contributing to large avalanches across the province and continue to be the primary layer of concern here.

Additionally, the lower snowpack is mostly made up of weak and faceted layers.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Clear. No new snow expected. Light west or southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level falls to valley bottom for a short period early morning. Treeline low around -7 °C.

Thursday

Sunny. No new snow expected. Light west or northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 2200 m. Treeline high around 0 °C.

Friday

Mostly sunny. No new snow expected. Light northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level at valley bottom overnight, rising to 2800 m. Treeline high around 4 °C.

Saturday

Sunny. No new snow expected. Light northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 3200 m. Treeline high around 6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent and overhead slopes.
  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

Problems

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.

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.