Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 14th, 2019 8:06AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Persistent Slabs, Loose Dry and Storm Slabs.

Parks Canada jonas hoke, Parks Canada

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Glacier.

Small avalanches will be easy to trigger in steep terrain. Throw in a ski cut at the top of your run, and be prepared to manage your sluff.

Summary

Weather Forecast

A "slack flow" will continue to give a mix of sun and cloud, light winds and cool temps through the weekend.

Saturday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Precip: Trace. Treeline temps: High -10 °C. Light SW ridge wind.

Sunday: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. TL temps: Low -15 °C, High -14 °C, light SW ridge wind.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 15cm of new snow now buries the Dec 11 surface hoar layer. This new snow, combined with light southerly wind, is building pockets of soft storm slab in the Alpine. The Nov 23rd surface hoar/crust/facet combo is down +/-100cm and is becoming more stubborn in tests, but continues to show it's potential to propagate well once triggered.

Avalanche Summary

There were several size 2 natural avalanches in the MacDonald gullies yesterday, as well as MIN reports of easily triggered sluffs on all aspects and small skier controlled storm slabs in the Alpine on a North aspect.

Confidence

Problems

Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Persistent Slabs

The November 23rd layer consists of surface hoar at and below treeline and a crust on steep solar aspects into the alpine. This layer can be found down +/-100cm.

  • If triggered small avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1.5 - 3

Loose Dry

An icon showing Loose Dry

The widespread Dec 11 surface hoar is now buried down 10cm+. Surface snow will be prone to sluffing fast and far on this layer. This may be an issue in gully or terrain trap features.

  • Use caution above cliffs where small avalanches may have severe consequences.
  • Be careful of loose dry power sluffing in steep terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Storm Slabs

An icon showing Storm Slabs

Up to 15cm of new snow since Dec 11th with light to very light southerly wind.  Expect touchy pockets of storm slab in wind exposed features.

  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where small avalanches may have severe consequences.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Dec 15th, 2019 8:00AM

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