Archived forecast for Tuesday, March 26, 2024 This is archived in relation to a fatality on 3/29 on or near the La Martre area. This appears to be slightly north of the official advisory are for the information below but it is assumed to be representative. They date advisories by the ending date so this was listed as 3/28 but expired at 0200 that day and was issued beginning on 3/26. Date Issued: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 01:30 Valid Until: Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 02:00 Prepared by: bwillard This avalanche bulletin is produced by forecasters at Avalanche Québec: avalanchequebec.ca ?? CAUTION - BULLETIN VALID FOR TUESDAY MARCH 26 AND WEDNESDAY MARCH 27 ?? Tuesday will be a great day to enjoy the snow in the mountains before the heavy rainfall forecast for Wednesday. Be sure to take the time to read the bulletin, several avalanche problems are present. Danger Ratings Tuesday Alpine: 2 - Moderate Treeline: 2 - Moderate Below Treeline: 1 - Low Terrain and Travel Advice Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features. Avoid sun exposed slopes, especially if snow surface is moist or wet. Keep in mind that wet avalanches can be destructive due to their high density. The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become. Problems Avalanche Problem 1: Wind slab What Elevation? - Treeline, Alpine Which Slopes? - East, Southeast, south, Southwest Chances of Avalanches? - Possible - Likely Expected Size? - Small - Large The wind slabs rest on a thin solar crust at a depth of around 50 cm, on which facet grains have developed. This configuration makes the wind slabs still sensitive to triggering. Be particularly careful near couloir start zones and alpine bowls, under convexities and in cross-loaded areas of the alpine and treeline. Avalanche Problem 2: Wet slab What Elevation? - Treeline, Alpine Which Slopes? - East, Southeast, south, Southwest Chances of Avalanches? - Unlikely - Possible Expected Size? - Small - Large Warm temperatures and precipitation in the form of rain could trigger wet slabs in places where a wind slab problems existed. Avalanche Problem 3: Wet Loose What Elevation? - Below treeline, Treeline, Alpine Which Slopes? - North, Northeast, East, Southeast, south, Southwest, West, Northwest Chances of Avalanches? - Unlikely - Possible Expected Size? - Small - Large Solar radiation, warm temperatures and rain could produce small avalanches of loose wet snow. Avalanche Summary Several size 1 to 2 avalanches were reported on south-facing slopes, including a size 2 avalanche accidentally triggered by a skier on a south-facing slope with a crown around 50 cm thick. If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN). Snowpack Summary We find great spatial variability in the mountains due to the strong to extreme winds that have accompanied recent storms. At mid-mountain, in areas sheltered from the wind, 50 to 60 cm of snow rests on a thin friable crust. Beneath this crust, a further 20 cm or so of snow covered the very firm crust of March 10. Solar aspect have been affected by the sun. The middle of the snowpack is very well consolidated down to the ground. The average snow depth is around 130-160 cm. Weather Summary Synopsis: A ridge of high pressure stationed directly over the Chic-Chocs will give us another beautiful day in the mountains on Tuesday. Things will start to turn nasty from Tuesday evening, with freezing rain turning to rain. Monday evening and night: Clear. Light southerly wind, 15 to 20 km/h. Low -10. Tuesday: Sunny. Wind southeast, 30 to 40 km/h. Maximum +5. Mountain inversion. 10 mm of freezing rain expected overnight. Wednesday: Rain. 10 mm. Strong south-westerly wind, 60 to 80 km/h. High +7. Mountain inversion. Freezing level at 3,000 m. Confidence: Moderate, Uncertainty is due to the timing, track, & intensity of the incoming weather system.