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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 9th, 2015–Mar 12th, 2015

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes.

Expect springlike conditions everywhere except sheltered N aspects above treeline. Limit your exposure to cornices and steep sun exposed slopes during the heat of the day. Clouds and wind will help reduce the danger so pay close attention to weather.

Weather Forecast

The spring conditions will continue for at least the next week with little or now overnight freezing. Akamina pass was +10 degrees at 2pm on Monday and this will likely be the same until at least Sunday. Strong southwest winds and patchy cloud cover are helping keep the alpine slopes from completely melting but be prepared for spring conditions.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures and no overnight freeze mean that sun exposed slopes have wet surface snow. Open areas at TL not sun effected will have hard slabs. These slabs, down about 15cm, were still reactive in tests on a NW slope in the Forum ridge area. Watch for shallow higher elevation areas where triggering deep instabilities is still a possibility.

Avalanche Summary

There has been snowballing and sluffing out of exposed rocky areas in sun exposed slopes. Otherwise there has been no new avalanche activity in the last couple of days.

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.

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.