Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 17th, 2017 4:11PM
The alpine rating is Storm Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeThe best riding right now is probably on high north aspects, which is also where the hazard is the highest. Don't let your guard down when searching for fresh powder.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Cloudy with light flurries, light winds and freezing levels around 1300 m.SUNDAY: Cloudy with flurries bringing another 2-5 cm, light southerly winds and freezing levels around 1200 m.MONDAY: Cloudy with light flurries, light winds and freezing levels around 1100 m.
Avalanche Summary
Reports from Thursday and Friday morning include natural and skier triggered 15-60 cm thick storm and wind slab avalanches up to Size 2. One skier-triggered storm slab stepped down to facets buried early February down 70 cm. Other reports include continued natural wet loose avalanche activity up to Size 2.5 at lower elevations. Touchy new storm slabs are sensitive to light triggers and have the potential to step down and trigger persistent slab avalanches.
Snowpack Summary
Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At lower elevations the snow surface is wet and cohesionless and should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Fresh storm slabs are sensitive to light triggers and particularly deep and touchy on wind-loaded slopes.
Avoid freshly wind loaded features.If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
A persistent weakness down 50-80 cm remains remains sensitive to light triggers in isolated areas. Smaller avalanches have the potential to step down to this layer.
Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of buried weak layers.Whumpfing, shooting cracks and recent avalanches are all strong indicators of unstable snowpack.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 18th, 2017 2:00PM