Avalanche Forecast
South Columbia
Cool temperatures will keep crusts frozen. There are still some lingering wind slabs on high northerly aspects where the snow remains dry and cold.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Watch for wind loaded pockets near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Extra caution needed around cornices with current conditions.
Avalanche Summary
A widespread natural avalanche cycle to size 3 was reported over the past several days. These were primarily wet loose avalanches on sunny aspects; however, on Saturday some did step down to the mid-February layer (with 50-70 cm crowns) on southerly aspects. Large cornice falls were also reported on the weekend that were mostly entraining the surface snow only.
Snowpack Summary
Recent sun and warm temperatures have resulted in moist or wet snow on sunny aspects that is then freezing to form a crust overnight. North and east facing slopes still have cold dry snow that sits on a well-settled snowpack. Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Flurries, accumulation 5cm / Light north wind / Alpine temperature -6 / Freezing level 1400m
FRIDAY: Mix of sun, cloud and scattered flurries / Light south wind / Alpine temperature -5 / Freezing level 1500m
SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy / Light northwest wind / Alpine temperature -6 / Freezing level 1500m
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Wind slabs formed during last week's storm and may remain reactive - their distribution is variable.