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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 24th, 2021–Mar 25th, 2021

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

Regions

Glacier.

A persistent weak layer is buried approximately 50cm. This is a critical depth for larger skier-triggered avalanches. Dig down and take a look!

Weather Forecast

Scattered flurries today with 5cm of accumulation and gusty winds as a cold front sweeps across BC.  Freezing levels rise to 1600m and the alpine temperature will climb to -4.  A slight break in precipitation for tomorrow, but light snow and strong wind return to the forecast on Friday.  March is expected to go out like a lion with 25cm on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Strong southerly winds accompanied 10cm of new snow overnight.  The new snow adds to an existing load that sits atop the March 18th weak layer which presents as a crust on solar aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. March 18th is sensitive to skier triggering in areas where wind slabs have developed.  Cornices are large and fragile.

Avalanche Summary

Several size 2-2.5 and one size 3.0 wind slab avalanches were observed on north aspects in the highway corridor.  A field team was able to skier control two size 1.0 windslabs in the Cheops South #5 avalanche path, and they observed several natural dry loose avalanches up to size 2.0 in the Connaught Creek drainage.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system 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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.