EXTREME AVALANCHE DANGER in the ALPINE ZONE and at TREE LINE:
HIGH DANGER BELOW TREE LINE and in OFF PISTE AREAS at the resorts.

To all fellow skiers, snowboarders, telemarketers and everyone enjoying the powder.  Please be careful but have fun!!

Avoid all avalanche terrain. Natural and human triggered avalanches certain. Large to very large avalanches expected in many areas and Slab avalanches in the Alpine will come with great size and consequence.
Heavy snow fall and extreme winds at all elevations have put rapid load on the already weak upper snowpack.
Enjoy in bounds riding or well supported‚ simple terrain below treeline. Always ride with a beacon and a buddy that knows how to use one! Make route planes and inform someone of your plans. If you are unsure stay in bounds on the great powder on the Resort.

Extreme winds and continued snow fall have put rapid load on an already very unstable past surface snow and under laying melt crust. Expect Natural and Human triggered avalanches on all aspects at Tree Line and above. If you are riding at resorts remember also that off piste areas will also be avalanche prone and that avalanches will be fast to run over the underlying crust and it will be difficult to get your edge in to stop or ride off to the side of the slide due also to that same solid Ice Crust. Terrain traps in off piste areas like trees, cliffs, gullies and creeks will increase hazard and potential burial depths.

Enjoy the powder on the runs at low elevation at the resorts and wait for snow fall to stop and for the storm snow to settle before heading in to the Backcountry or side country.

Multiple small slabs were triggered by riders and released naturally in the back country and off piste at the resorts yesterday. 2 minor incidents and one more serious involvements were reported and This was to be expected with the new snow over riding the melt layer. The bond between the melt crust and the new snow was improving through the day yesterday. The bond at lower elevation has improved today with last nights cold temperatures freezing the past wet melt grains to the immediate over riding storm snow. These bonds may loosen today with intense solar radiation and warming. The snow on the shaded slopes that has remained cold yesterday and will remain cold today may still see natural releases of slab and loose avalanches. Last nights surface hoar will also no doubt be present on Northerly aspects as new snow starts to fall this afternoon. This will create another low density weak layer between yesterdays storm snow and today’s forecast new snow.

Watch out on wind loaded North and East aspects where wind deposited snow may still not have bonded well to the melt layer. This aspect may have seen near surface faceting due to last nights clear skies and radiated heat loss from the upper snow pack.

AVALANCHE HAZARD: ALPINE ZONE CONSIDERABLE

EXTRA CAUTION on Steep Solar radiated slopes and also take care on Wind loaded and shady slopes.

Please be careful out there as this are still in a precarious balance.

Please also remember the 3 backcountry riders who lost there lives last year on this day. March 11th. The day of the great Earth Quake of Eastern Japan. Remember and respect a moment of silence at 2:46 pm.
Peace Through Powder

Avalanche Danger Bulletin:

昨夕からの南海低気圧による上雪（かみゆき）が朝の内に上がりそう。1月2月に多かった西高東低の冬型と違って、県南で降水が多くなり、小谷よりも白馬の新雪が多い。といっても、アメダス白馬で10ｃｍ程度の軽い雪深増。

山ではまとまった雪が積もり、しかも雪の温度が高目で積雪のひずみ変形が大きいから、降雪中に雪崩が起こりやすい。白馬連峰での雪崩事故は、このタイプの降雪日に多い。

雪温が高いことは、落ちるべきは早めに落ち、積雪が早く締まって落ち着くことをも意味する。急斜面に入るのをあせってはならない。

Yesterdays snow as it began to fall was of a high density and combined with mild air temperatures and warm melt grains at the surface of snow at low elevation this new storm interface will tend to bond and freeze together. The snow over night was of lower density and of a cooler temperature than the warm dense snow of yesterday and will not be bonding well to the snow below it. This light snow is known as Kami Yuki and snow fall in the Hakuba area may be deeper in the southern mountains than the Otari Mountains in the North. This will change later today as winds and snow change to the general Winter Pattern of snow fall and will begin to fall at greater intensity from the North West. The temperatures will also no doubt rise durring the day and cause a Density Sandwich with the light low density Kami Yuki between the layers of higher density snow above and below this light snow.

Remember that at higher elevation the wet melt grains will have frozen into a crust pre the recent storm snow and will also have a week bond at this melt crust / storm snow interface.

Expect stability to decrease during the storm. Expect loose avalanches to run easily fast and far. Take due care in steep terrain and in open areas above creeks tight trees and cliffs. In general avoid areas above terrain traps.

The new snow should begin to settle and bond over the next couple of days but will be very unstable while the snow continues to fall.

BELOW TREE LINE: CONSIDERABLE DANGER
TREE LINE: HIGH DANGER
ALPINE ZONE: HIGH DANGER

Take due caution in the Alpine and stay to supported terrain and watch for hollow sounds / wumpfing and cracking from your skis that indicate wind slab and instability. The storm snow may be over riding past wind slab and thus avalanches in the alpine can be expected to be of greater size and destructive force.