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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 18th, 2022–Feb 19th, 2022

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Wind slabs remain triggerable. Watch for pockets of wind-loaded snow and tune in to any signs of instability like whumphing, cracking or recent avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Friday night: Flurries up to 5 cm, strong southwest wind easing, freezing level 1000 m.

Saturday: A mix of sun and cloud, moderate northwest wind, high of -2, freezing level 800 m.

Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud, light northwest wind, high of -3, freezing level valley bottom.

Monday: Sunny, moderate northeast wind, high of -15.

Avalanche Summary

Natural and skier triggered wind slabs were reported up to size 1.5 on Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

Incremental inputs of new snow are being loaded into leeward terrain features by wind. These fresh wind slabs sit over a thick rain crust. The 10-20 cm thick rain crust makes human triggering of avalanches on weak layers deeper in the snowpack very unlikely.

Cornices overhead are a primary concern during sunny, warm, or windy conditions. Cornice failures can trigger very large persistent slab avalanches that would otherwise be difficult to human trigger.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.

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.