Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 1st, 2014 8:27AM

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

ali haeri, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Large open planar slopes would be areas to avoid where weak layers would be above any surface roughness and would propagate if triggered. Cold temperatures will be a factor again today to watch out for. Stay warm!

Summary

Weather Forecast

Still under the high pressure ridge with cold temperatures and thin cloud today. A series of weak disturbances bringing light flurries as high pressure ridge slowly breaks down. Temperatures are slowly on the rise to more tolerable levels throughout the week.

Snowpack Summary

Rain crust to ~1500m. Above, settling storm snow over the Nov 21 surface hoar/crust/facet layer, aspect and elevation dependant, down ~100cm. The Nov 9 facet/crust layer is down 110-130cm to the ground at ~2000m. Snowpack tests show triggering these layers to be in the moderate range with large propagation to be very likely.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche observed

Confidence

The weather pattern is stable on Monday

Problems

Persistent Slabs

2 weak layers within our snowpack, down ~1m and ~1.2m that are producing tests results to be concerned about. Whoomphing and cracking may not be as prevalent due to the depth of the layer but if triggered the slab is likely to propagate.

Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Storm Slabs

Lingering shallower slabs at higher elevations may still be out there.

If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Dec 2nd, 2014 8:00AM