Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Apr 11 – 12, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

This bulletin is based on very limited field data. Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–5
    Large cornices exist in alpine terrain. A failure could be destructive by itself, and could also trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Snow stability can deteriorate very quickly with spring temperatures. Watch for loose wet avalanches on steep terrain, especially if the sun is shining.

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Light precipitation starting Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday / light southeast winds / freezing level at 1500m Friday: Light precipitation / light to moderate northerly winds / freezing level at 1200m Saturday: generally clear skies / light and variable winds / freezing level at 1500m

Avalanche Summary

We have had very little information about recent avalanche activity from this region. Based on observations from the Northwest Coastal region, I would expect wet loose snow avalanches have been occurring up to size 2 on solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

We have had very little information about the snowpack in this region for several days now. However, I suspect the warmer temperatures and generally light winds have consolidated the snowpack in many areas. Anticipate extensive crusts on solar aspects and moist snow at lower elevations. On shady aspects, I suspect you can still find pockets of dry snow, which may sit over previous old wind slabs. Wet slabs become a possibility during periods of prolonged warming, especially if there is minimal amounts of overnight freeze. Expect cornices to be large and potentially unstable, especially under sunny skies.

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