Avalanche Forecast
Lizard Range and Flathead
Sunshine and warming will increase hazard throughout the weekend. Natural loose wet avalanches are expected on steep south facing slopes and lingering storm slabs reactive to human triggers.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use caution when transitioning into wind affected terrain.
- Use small slopes with low or no consequence to test the bond of the new snow.
- Avoid terrain traps where small avalanches can have high consequence.
Avalanche Problem 2: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Forecast sunshine is expected to trigger loose wet avalanches on steep south facing slopes.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid terrain traps such as gullies and cliffs where small avalanches can have high consequence.
- Watch for signs that the snow is heating up such as pin-wheeling and point-releases below cliffs.
- Start early to stay off south facing slopes during the heat of the day.
Avalanche Summary
Several size 2 natural storm slab avalanches and numerous human triggered storm slabs up to size 1.5 on all aspects and elevations were observed near Fernie on Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
20-30 cm of new snow is sitting on a sun crust on solar aspects. Cornices are large and prone to failure over the weekend caused by forecast sunny skies.
In the upper to mid snowpack, a surface hoar or facet layer buried mid-February is now 80 to 110 cm below the surface on sheltered northerly aspects.
Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December and late November weak layers are composed of a combination of crusts and sugary facets which are down 200-300 cm. These layers have been dormant but may be awoken by the warm and sunny weather over the weekend or by a large trigger such as a falling cornice.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1500 m.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2000 m.
MONDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2300 m.
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Storm slabs are expected to still be reactive to human triggers on Saturday.