Avalanche Forecast
Purcells
Seek the shade for the best riding and least sun-baked snow.
Avalanche Problem 1: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
- Choose well supported terrain without convexities.
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Wind slabs may be lurking behind ridges and ribs and could be triggered by the weight of a rider.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Travel on ridgetops to avoid wind slabs on slopes below.
Avalanche Summary
Limited reports from the region over the past few days show a diminishing pattern of touchy wind slabs around alpine ridges. On Tuesday, a size 1.5 wind slab was triggered by a skier on a south-facing slope at 2600 m in the Invermere area. Multiple reactive wind slabs were reported last weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Recently formed wind slabs are gaining strength, but can still be found in the lee of ridges and terrain breaks. Intense warming will melt and weaken upper snowpack layers, particularly on steep sunny slopes. Warming also has the potential to wake up more deeply buried crust layers. Below treeline, the snowpack is shallow--look out for early season hazards like open creeks and tree stumps.
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Sunny with valley cloud. Light wind. Freezing level near 3200 m with a colder air layer in the valleys.
FRIDAY: Sunny with valley cloud. Light wind. Freezing level near 3000 m with a colder air layer in the valleys.
SATURDAY: Sunny with valley cloud. Light wind. Freezing level near 2800 m with a colder air layer in the valleys.
More details can be found on the Mountain Weather Forecast.
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Loose wet avalanches are likely in steep, rocky, sunny terrain. Warming could also wake up more deeply buried weak layers.