Avalanche Forecast
Sea To Sky
A skiff of fresh snow covers variable surfaces below: Be alert for rapid changes under your skis or sled, and watch for fresh pockets of wind slab.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Snow conditions may change drastically over short distances - be alert to changing surfaces.
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Extra caution needed around cornices with current conditions.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
A weak layer of surface hoar or facetted crystals has been reactive especially where it may be sitting on a hard crust.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.
Avalanche Summary
On Tuesday, fresh wind slabs were reactive to ski cuts - but limited to size 1 - on immediate down wind (lee) features.
On Monday, explosives control work triggered only a few size 1 wind slab avalanches in isolated terrain up in the alpine.
On Friday a sled-triggered size 2 wind slab was reported near Grizzly Lake near Powder Mountain, on a north west aspect near 1750m. See the MIN post for more details.
A week ago there was a size 1 avalanche that sympathetically triggered a size 3 persistent slab avalanche resulting in a fatality. This was on a northeast aspect at 2000m, 50cm deep. Additionally there were reports of natural persistent slab avalanches size 2.5-3 on southeast through northeast aspects between 1800 and 2000m. These were reported to have happened in the previous 24-48 hours. See this MIN post for similar details.
Snowpack Summary
We've been seeing regular amounts of light snow (2-10 cm each day) since Easter Sunday (with some locally higher amounts due to intense convective activity and gusty winds). Winds have been gusting strong, previously from the north and most recently the south.
The end result is that snow conditions are wildly variable, with a skiff of new snow sitting on: melt freeze crusts on sunny aspects, scoured old hard wind slabs, isolated pockets of soft wind slab or soft snow giving decent skiing in some sheltered locations. See this MIN post for a good summary of conditions beyond the musical bumps.
Old snow from a week ago rests on the March 21st interface, which has a very patchy distribution, but is mostly likely to be found on shady aspects between 1900m and 2250m. The March 21st interface has been giving variably moderate to hard resistant planar results, typically down 40-60cm on 1-2mm facets.
The mid and lower snowpack are strong and well settled.
Weather Forecast
Only small amounts of snow on Wednesday with heavier snow fall (or rain) on Thursday-Friday. Freezing levels will slowly increase.
WEDNESDAY: Snow (up to 5 cm, with more possible in the south) / Moderate south west wind / Alpine temperature -4 / Freezing level 500m rising to 1200m in the afternoon
THURSDAY: Wet snow (10-20cm) or rain at lower elevations / Light to moderate south-west wind / Alpine temperature -3 / Freezing level 1400m
FRIDAY: Cloudy with light flurries (5-10 cm possible in the morning) / Moderate south west wind / Alpine temperature -1 / Freezing level 1800m.
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Recent south winds have formed wind slabs on northerly features near ridge crests. Slabs could be most reactive where they may be sitting on firm, scoured snow from earlier in the week.