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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 28th, 2024–Dec 29th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

North Rockies, Sugarbowl, East Kakwa, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Robson, Tumbler.

Terrain that is sheltered from the wind will hold soft, loose snow with no slab properties. That's where you'll find the best riding and the lowest avalanche danger.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, east of Pine Pass, natural and human triggered avalanches up to size 2 were reported in wind exposed treeline and alpine terrain. See photo below for more info and a link to the MIN report.

If you are out in the backcountry consider submitting your observations to the MIN.

Snowpack Summary

In sheltered terrain, expect to find 20 to 40 cm of settling snow. South through west wind has exposed the ground on windward slopes and formed wind slabs on lee slopes and in cross-loaded terrain.

In sheltered areas, a crust from early December is buried up to 80 cm. Snowpack tests and a lack of recent avalanches suggest that this layer has gotten stronger and is no longer a concern. However, observations are limited in this region.

The lower snowpack is settled and strong.

Data is very limited in this region, please submit MIN reports if you head into the mountains. Any information or photos are helpful!

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy. 5 to 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday

Cloudy. Light variable wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Monday

Mostly cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy with up to 2 cm of snow. 5 to 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Expect slab conditions to change drastically as you move into wind-exposed terrain.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.