Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Jan 23 – 24, 2021Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 6 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

 Practice good travel habits and watch for wind slabs in steep alpine terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Although unlikely to trigger, hard wind slabs in the alpine have the potential to propagate widely.

Confidence

High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern; little change is expected for several days.

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear skies, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures drop to -18 C.

SATURDAY: Sunny, moderate west wind, treeline temperature around -12 C.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries in the afternoon, light west wind, treeline temperatures around -12 C.

MONDAY: Isolated flurries with a trace amount of snow, light wind, treeline temperatures around -10 C.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

Alpine and upper treeline terrain is heavily wind affected, while a hard crust is found below 1800 m. A solid mid-pack sits above some decomposing crust and facet layers near the bottom of the snowpack (100-150 cm deep). Avalanche activity on these layers has been sporadic, mostly triggered by large loads such as wind slab avalanches and cornice falls. These layers should be unreactive under the current conditions, but steep rocky slopes should still be carefully assessed and approached with caution.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.

Regions covered