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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 14th, 2024–Jan 15th, 2024

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

Regions

South Rockies, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Expect to find wind slabs in areas where you typically don't see them. Cold weather is forecast to warm tomorrow but is still a concern. Review this blog for strategies to manage the cold.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Saturday. Cold temperatures kept operators and many users out of the backcountry.

If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

Northerly winds have redistributed available snow into deep pockets in leeward terrain at higher elevations. At treeline and below a weak layer of facets over a crust is found down 40 to 80 cm. This layer was reactive to skier triggering on the east side of the Continental Divide last week.

The mid and lower snowpack contains a series of crusts and facetted snow.

The height of snow at treeline is roughly 50 to 150 cm.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Clear skies with no precipitation, north alpine wind 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -25 °C.

Monday

Mainly sunny with no precipitation, northwest alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -20 °C.

Tuesday

Partly cloudy with isolated flurries, trace amounts of snow, north west switching to west alpine wind 40 to 70 km/h, treeline temperature -16 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with scattered flurries, 4 to 6 cm of snow, southwest alpine wind 25 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -15 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.

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.