Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 29th, 2022–Apr 30th, 2022

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Glacier.

A warming trend is forecast for the next several days. Expect the afternoon avalanche danger to spike higher and higher every day until the end of next week.

Weather Forecast

A gradual warming trend is in the forecast through weekend, reaching it's peak late in the week.

Tonight: Mostly clear, Alpine low -2*C, light South ridgetop wind

Saturday: Cloud w/ sunny periods, High 0*C, Freezing level (FZL) 2100m, light E wind

Sun: Sunny periods, Low -1*C, High 3*C, FZL 2400m, light S wind

Mon: Cloudy, Low 1*C, High 3*C, FZL 2600m

Snowpack Summary

We have 2 distinct snowpacks.

Below treeline the spring-time melt-freeze snowpack is solid in the am, then breaking down with daytime warming.

In the Alpine, you'll find a more winterlike snowpack, with up to 25cm of settling new snow atop various older surfaces (suncrust, and wind slab or dry powder on high, N'ly slopes).

Cornices are huge.

Avalanche Summary

Friday, there was a loose wet size 3 from Gunners 3, a South facing highway avalanche path.

On Thursday, there was a size 3 cornice failure in the Tractor Shed East highway avalanche path. Also, a field team triggered a size 1 loose snow avalanche on a steep slope at treeline, and observed a day old size 2 loose snow avalanche in the Ravens.

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.

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.