West Slopes North

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1–1.5

  One small wet loose avalanche was reported on Friday, running in very steep, rocky, south-facing terrain. This occurred once the sun softened the snow surface for a few hours. With slightly warmer temperatures Saturday, we may see a few more avalanches. They will mostly remain limited to steep, rocky, isolated areas, but if surfaces soften more, it is possible that you could trigger an avalanche in larger, open expanses. Likewise, one could start in a rocky area and fan out onto a broad slope. 

  As the sun softens surfaces, pay attention to how far you’re sinking into the snow. Notice rollerballs coming down steep slopes. If you start sinking in to your ankles, steer clear of steep, south-facing slopes. Move to northerly aspects or stay on slopes less than 35 degrees and avoid travelling beneath steeper locations. If you’re chasing good spring conditions you might be able to continue slowly shifting your aspect as the sun moves, maintaining travel on slightly softened surfaces.

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Unlikely

  Taille

  1.5–2.5

  We are uncertain about whether the persistent weak layer survived the warm, wet weather and subsequent surface freezing which occurred in the last few days. Buried 1-2 feet below the surface and found just above the Late January Crust, we saw occasional avalanches on this weak layer. They usually occurred in isolated pockets on north-facing slopes, with an uneven distribution on a slope-wide scale. 

  Until we know more, assume this problem still exists on upper elevation terrain on the northerly half of the compass. If there are several inches of a solid surface freeze, you probably will not trigger an avalanche on this layer. However, if you find areas with a minimal surface crust at upper elevations, the weak layer may still exist. So far, we’ve found that you can get away with traveling on many steep slopes without causing an avalanche, but there is a very small chance that you could trigger an avalanche on that layer if you find just the right spot on the slope. It’s important to consider this if you’re planning on heading to steep upper elevation northerly terrain.