Bollettino valanghe Purcells — Apr 9, 2024

In sintesi

Assess for wind slabs along ridges and in alpine terrain.

Problemi valanghivi

Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta quota
Limite del bosco
Sotto il limite del bosco
Probabilità
Possible
Dimensione
1–2
Recent snowfall was accompanied with southwest wind, likely leaving reactive slabs on some leeward terrain features.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Small wind slab avalanches (size 1) were reported on Monday, including a few 10 to 30 cm thick skier-triggered slabs on north and east-facing alpine slopes.

A few small dry loose avalanches were also observed over the past few days

Snowpack Summary

5 to 15 cm of dry snow sits atop melt-freeze layers. Several crusts may be found anywhere from 0 to 30 cm deep, depending on aspect and elevation.

The facet/crust layer that caused large avalanches in March is buried 100 to 150 cm deep. It is unlikely to trigger under the current conditions, but not totally off our radar for the season in high alpine terrain.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear skies. 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Wednesday

Mix of sun and cloud. 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow in the afternoon. 15 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 5 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.

Purcells

Pericolo valanghe