Avalanche Forecast
South Rockies
Deeply buried weak layers are lingering near the base of the snowpack. These layers are most likely to be triggered from thin or variable snowpack areas or with a large load like a cornice fall.
Avalanche Problem 1: Deep Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep, rocky, and shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
- Steep south facing slopes are the most likely to trigger.
Avalanche Problem 2: Cornices
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Daytime heating and solar radiation will weaken cornices making them more prone to failure. Falling cornices may trigger large avalanches on deeply buried weak layers.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Limit your exposure to cornices overhead.
- Give cornices a wide berth while traveling on ridge-tops.
Avalanche Problem 3: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Forecast sunshine may trigger loose wet avalanches on steep south facing slopes.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Start early to staff off south facing slopes during the heat of the day.
- Watch for signs that the snow is heating up such as pin-wheeling and point-releases below cliffs.
- Avoid terrain traps such as gullies and cliffs where small avalanches can have high consequence.
Avalanche Summary
Several human triggered wind slabs up to size 1.5 were reported on northeasterly slopes on Friday. Explosive control work northwest of Elkford on Tuesday produced numerous size 3 persistent slab avalanches failing on facets near the base of the snowpack. The most notable results were on steep, rocky north aspects, and lower angled west aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 20 cm of recent storm is rapidly settling. This snow overlies decomposing previous storm snow, old wind slabs, and sun crust on solar aspects. Cornices are large and prone to failure over the weekend due to forecast sunny skies and rising freezing levels.
The upper/mid-pack is generally well settled and strong.
The lower snowpack is weak with a combination of crusts and facets near the bottom of the snowpack that are widespread. The primary concern looking ahead is the potential of these deeper persistent weak layers becoming active by rapid warming of the snowpack through rising freezing levels and intense solar radiation. This is most likely to occur on steep south facing slopes.
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2300 m.
MONDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 2400 m.
TUESDAY: Sunny / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 3000 m.
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Deeply buried weak layers are lingering near the base of the snowpack. These layers are most likely to be triggered from thin or variable snowpack areas or with a large load like a cornice fall.