March Powder Days!
Tomorrow may the be the official first day of spring, but high in the mountains it couldn't feel more like mid-winter right now. This past week saw lots of people getting out, and finding both great powder skiing, and some touchy and widespread wind and storm slab avalanche problems.
A group of mountaineers attempting the Markhor Needle Traverse triggered a Size 2 slide on a south facing slope on Markhor. Avalanches were also reported across a lot of steep, unsupported terrain, including around the Thar Peak and Thar Couloir areas. Check out Avalanche Canada's MIN reports from the past week for more details.
Looking Ahead
Stormy weather today, tomorrow and into the weekend is going to bump the avalanche hazard up. We'll be thinking about wind and storm slab formation, especially on northerly aspects if the expected southerly winds come in as expected. Watch for wind effect in the upper snowpack, and think about taking a very conservative mindset when stepping out into avalanche terrain.
Right now, we're stoked for another round spring powder skiing, even on protected, low angle slopes. This round of March storms is giving our snowpack a bump, so there will be plenty of time in the weeks ahead for bigger missions.
For the next two weeks, we'll be taking a bit of a break from publishing this snow report, coming back in April with some notes on spring skiing before we wrap up for the season. We hope these have been helpful for your season!
