Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Feb 14 – 15, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Watch for loose avalanches as the sun hits new snow for the first time.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–2.5

    Old wind slabs underneath the new snow. They may have formed further down the slope than normal, even halfway down.

  • Loose Wet

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

    Sun hitting new snow for the first time could trigger small loose avalanches.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported at the time of publishing on Tuesday.

A few large (size 2) wind slab avalanches were triggered with explosives in the south on Monday.

A rider accidentally triggered a small wind slab avalanche below treeline near Window Mountain on Sunday. The wind slab had formed further downslope than normal.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 20 cm of light, dry snow fell near the Continental Divide on Tuesday with less as you go west.

Previous moderate to strong southwest wind developed wind slabs at all elevations. In sheltered spots, expect 30 to 50 cm over the thick rain crust from early February.

Below this crust, the shallow faceted snowpack is generally well consolidated. There are two crust layers, one in the midpack and another near the base of the snowpack, that have been unreactive.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, clearing. 15 to 35 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

Wednesday

Clear skies. 15 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

Thursday

A mix of sun and cloud. 15 to 30 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

Friday

Clear skies. 20 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.

Regions covered