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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 24th, 2024–Dec 25th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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.
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.

Overnight snowfall and strong winds may build sensitive wind slabs.

Head to sheltered areas for the best riding.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Monday.

The picture below shows current features of concern - We expect new and reactive wind slabs to form with Tuesday night's snowfall and wind.

Snowpack Summary

The snow surface at higher elevations is highly wind affected, with some slopes stripped from recent strong southerly winds. In sheltered areas, a crust from early December sits below 30 to 50 cm of settling snow. This layer has produced avalanche activity and shown reactivity on testing. However, observations are limited in this region and the reactivity or distribution of this is not well understood.

There are no current deeper layers of concern.

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

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy with up to 10 cm of snow for most areas. Southern terrain (Kakwa and Torpy areas) may see up to 20 cm. 60+ km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels around 1000 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with 50 km/hr southerly ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with flurries. 20 to 30 km/hr southerly ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Friday

Mostly clear skies. 20 to 30 km/hr southerly ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -7 °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.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

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.