Date issued

Apr 6, 2018 - 4:00 PM

Valid until

Apr 7, 2018 - 4:00 PM

Prepared by

deryl kelly

New snow available for transport may be enough to overload existing and lingering instabilities.

Read, and share conditions in the region. Write a trip report about your day on

Avalanche Canada's Mountain Information Network

Regular season
Saturday - April 7, 2018
Alpine

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Treeline

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Below Treeline

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Sunday - April 8, 2018
Alpine

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Treeline

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Below Treeline

1 - Low

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.

Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.

Monday - April 9, 2018
Alpine

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

Treeline

1 - Low

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.

Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.

Below Treeline

1 - Low

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.

Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.

Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

New moist snow available for transport with incoming flurries. This will build on surface layers and may be enough to overload existing and lingering instabilities.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Use caution on open slopes and convex rolls
  • If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

Persistent slabs sit on facets on polar aspects (more reactive recently), and a hard melt-freeze crust on solar aspects. Use a cautious approach in open terrain and assess the bond at these interfaces carefully before committing to a slope.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, or cracking.

Avalanche Problem 3: Cornices

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

Cornices continue to grow with fresh snow and wind. Several failures were noted in the past week, in most cases triggering a slab below.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
  • Minimize exposure during periods of loading from new snow and wind.

Avalanche Summary

Read, and share conditions in the region. Write a trip report on your day on Avalanche Canada's Mountain Information Network

Active cornice failures reported earlier in the week have triggered persistent slabs below ridge-tops. Good travel and riding conditions through the bulletin region.

Snowpack Summary

Recent snow has been blown in to an isolated wind slab up to 30cm thick. This has added to the previous slab sitting on a sun-crust on solar aspects and facets on polar aspects - these are now buried as deep as 60cm. Underneath the variable slab in the upper snowpack, as well as in shallow areas, the snowpack is generally facetted and weak.

Weather Forecast

Arctic air remained entrenched over the Prairies for Friday. Light winds shifting to the SW have brought a warmer, moist air mass into the bulletin region. Saturday morning is forecasted for some light flurries with total snowfall of 6cm for the day. Freezing level rising to 2300m and seasonally warm temps; alpine temp 1c.

Danger Ratings Explained

1 - Low

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.

Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

3 - Considerable

Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making essential.

Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely.

Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas.

4 - High

Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain not recommended.

Natural avalanches likely; human-triggered avalanches very likely.

Large avalanches in many areas; or very large avalanches in specific areas.

5 - Extreme

Avoid all avalanche terrain.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches certain.

Large to very large avalanches in many areas.

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