Avalanche forecast

Purcells

Jan 29 – 30, 2016Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Patience and diligence may be required to resist venturing into complex terrain as the snowpack settles and adjusts to the recent load and warming.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Fresh wind slabs lurking below ridge crests and behind terrain features are sensitive to human triggers. Cornices are also large and fragile.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    2–5
    Surface hoar buried at the beginning on January remains a concern for human triggers. The potential for widespread propagation and remote triggering makes this persistent slab particularly tricky to manage.

Confidence

High

Weather Forecast

SATURDAY: A mix of sun and cloud with isolated light flurries. Freezing levels around 1200m and light southwesterly winds. SUNDAY: A mix of sun and cloud and mainly dry with freezing levels dropping below valley bottoms and light variable winds. MONDAY: A mix of sun and cloud with isolated light flurries. Freezing levels in valley bottoms and light southwesterly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Reports from Thursday include several natural and human triggered 50-60cm thick persistent slab avalanches up to Size 2 running on surface hoar buried at the beginning of January. Some were remotely triggered by as much as 30m away. Explosives control also produced relatively harmless loose wet and storm slab avalanches

Snowpack Summary

Weakness linger within and under the 30-60cm of rapidly settling recent storm snow with reports of moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Southwesterly winds have continued to build fresh wind slabs on the leeward side of ridgecrests and behind terrain features on cross-loaded slopes. The persistent weak layer of surface hoar buried early-January is now typically down 40-70 cm and appears to be quite touchy in some parts of the region. In general, the lower snowpack is well settled and strong.

Regions covered