Expect the unexpected

Riding quality was:

OK

Snow conditions were:

• Wind affected

We stayed away from:

• Alpine slopes
• Convex slopes
• Steep slopes

The day was:

• Sunny
• Windy

Expect the unexpected!

What do a cornice, a wind slab, and a deep persistent slab have in common? One great big avalanche! These three avalanche problems were all in play in the Crowsnest Pass recently. An avalanche cycle that likely occurred in the past 24 - 36 hours continues to remind us that the Deep Persistent Slab problem is still in play.

In Window bowl, a size 3 avalanche that was triggered initially by a cornice chunk, that triggered a 20 - 30 cm deep wind slab, stepped down to the December deep persistent slab layer on a northeast-facing slope. Another avalanche size 2 across the bowl on a southwest-facing slope started higher up in the alpine and triggered slopes below.

There was another size 3 avalanche further down Atlas road, again on a northeast aspect.

The weekend forecast is for warm temperatures and clear skies, which will increase the avalanche hazard. Large overhanging cornices will become weak, wind slabs of variable depths will become easier to trigger and this all sits on a Deep Persistent Slab that may wake up with the added load.