Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 27th, 2024–Jan 28th, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Lizard.

730am update: Wet snow and rain is increasing avalanche hazard at all elevations. Avoid areas with overhead hazards and seek out terrain sheltered from the wind.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Small (size 1) skier-controlled avalanches were reported near Fernie today.

Small and large (size 2) storm slab avalanches have continued to occur this week near Fernie, both naturally and with explosives, as recently as Friday.

Snowpack Summary

Expect surface snow to become moist and wet with incoming warm temperatures and precipitation.

Roughly 40 to 50 cm of snow from the past week sits over various old surfaces. In some areas, it is slow to bond due to sugary facets.

Near the bottom of the snowpack, there are a series of crusts and facets that are more prominent in shallow areas.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Cloudy with a trace of snow or rain, southwest alpine wind 40 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C, freezing level 1500 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow or rain, southwest alpine wind 50 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature 2 °C, freezing level 2500 m.

Monday

Cloudy with a trace of snow or rain, southwest alpine wind 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature 3 °C, freezing level 3000 m.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud with no snow, southwest alpine wind 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature 2 °C, freezing level dropping to 2250 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy rain.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.