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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 19th, 2021–Mar 20th, 2021

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

Regions

Glacier.

Ongoing snowfall and wind into the weekend will continue to build on the windslab problem in the alpine.

The snowpack remains isothermal at lower elevations, avoid steep open terrain until a solid surface crust develops.

Weather Forecast

Flurries through the weekend as the unstable NW flow persists over BC.

Today: Mostly cloudy. Alpine High -5 C. Ridge wind light (gusting strong) SW. Freezing level (Fzl) 1600m.

Tonight: Flurries (10-15cm). Low -8 C. Moderate SW wind. Fzl 900m.

Saturday: Flurries (3-5cm). High -7 C. Mod W wind. Fzl 1300m.

Sunday: Flurries (5-10cm). High -9 C.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temps and rain overnight have kept the snowpack isothermal at lower elevations. Above the rain line, 5cm of new snow is covering a melt-freeze crust into the alpine on solar asp, and surface hoar on dry settled snow on polar aspects. Strong alpine winds have likely blown the new snow into pockets of windslab in the alpine.

Avalanche Summary

A couple of loose wet snow avalanches, and one notable size 3 avalanche (in the Park One avalanche path) were triggered in the highway corridor by last nights warm temps and rain. Activity is expected to tapper with cooling temps today.

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

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.

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.