April 24, 2007
April 24, 2007
Alpine: MODERATE, direct solar exposure will result in loose wet avalanche activity
Treeline: MODERATE
Below Treeline: LOW
Travel Advisory: The 5cm of new snow we received overnight will have left us with soft slabs in lee alpine terrain. Any direct solar exposure will result in loose wet avalanche activity. A variable and increasingly dense sandwich of weak crusts and soft to hard slabs are sitting on the April 9 crust. Daytime heating will continue to soften and settle these layers, while overnight cooling will rebuild the surface crust.
Avalanche Activity: The weight of a skier or boarder may be enough to trigger the slabs up in the alpine, these will continue to build through the week with the forecasted winds and snow. Sun exposure and warm temperatures will cause moistening on solar aspects and sluffing will occur from steep start zones.
Snowpack: The April 9 melt freeze crust is sitting about 50 cm below the surface. Above this crust the snowpack is variable – north aspects in the alpine remain somewhat winter like, while solar aspects are harbouring an assortment of weak crusts above the April 9 crust. The bond at the April 9 crust is good. On the surface, a layer of surface hoar up to 20mm's in size was lightly dusted over by new snow and graupel on Thursday night, this layer is likely destroyed by the warm temperatures in most areas. There is an additional 5-10cm of new snow sitting over another variable melt-freeze crust on almost every aspect.
Weather: A series of fronts will affect our area for the rest of the week. This will bring strong winds, moderate precipitation and freezing levels between 1200-1500m.
Alpine: MODERATE, direct solar exposure will result in loose wet avalanche activity
Treeline: MODERATE
Below Treeline: LOW
Travel Advisory: The 5cm of new snow we received overnight will have left us with soft slabs in lee alpine terrain. Any direct solar exposure will result in loose wet avalanche activity. A variable and increasingly dense sandwich of weak crusts and soft to hard slabs are sitting on the April 9 crust. Daytime heating will continue to soften and settle these layers, while overnight cooling will rebuild the surface crust.
Avalanche Activity: The weight of a skier or boarder may be enough to trigger the slabs up in the alpine, these will continue to build through the week with the forecasted winds and snow. Sun exposure and warm temperatures will cause moistening on solar aspects and sluffing will occur from steep start zones.
Snowpack: The April 9 melt freeze crust is sitting about 50 cm below the surface. Above this crust the snowpack is variable – north aspects in the alpine remain somewhat winter like, while solar aspects are harbouring an assortment of weak crusts above the April 9 crust. The bond at the April 9 crust is good. On the surface, a layer of surface hoar up to 20mm's in size was lightly dusted over by new snow and graupel on Thursday night, this layer is likely destroyed by the warm temperatures in most areas. There is an additional 5-10cm of new snow sitting over another variable melt-freeze crust on almost every aspect.
Weather: A series of fronts will affect our area for the rest of the week. This will bring strong winds, moderate precipitation and freezing levels between 1200-1500m.
