Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 7th, 2016 3:11PM

The alpine rating is low, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Storm Slabs.

Ruari Macfarlane, Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes.

Travel conditions are good... bring your crampons. Avoid exposure to obvious hazards like cornices or slopes with glide cracks.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: Strong SW winds, easing to Moderate. A mix of sun and cloud. Freezing Level below 1600m. Wednesday: Moderate SW wind. Some sun. Freezing level below 1600m. Thursday: Chinook conditions - cloudy, with some models predicting light snowfall. Extreme SW winds, with Freezing Level rising to Treeline.

Snowpack Summary

20mm of precipitation during the weekend came mainly as rain. The wet surface snow froze on Sunday night, forming a thick Melt-Freeze Crust, softening during the day on solar aspects. Below is a moist but well-settled upper snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Rain at all elevations on Saturday caused a widespread loose wet avalanche cycle. Several of these were large, near the divide. New glide cracks were observed on Monday, on a steep solar aspect slope Below Treeline.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Problems

Storm Slabs

Isolated storm slabs exist, increasing in size with elevation. These may be stubborn or unreactive to human triggering, but consider the consequences of your terrain choices if peak bagging.

Use caution in alpine lees. Recent snowfall mixed with wind loading has created storm slabs.Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 10th, 2016 4:00PM