Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Jan 22 – 23, 2017Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The consequence of triggering a deep persistent slab avalanche warrants a cautious approach to steep open terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Watch for wind slabs on lee and cross-loaded features at higher elevations.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3
    Triggering deeper weak layers remains possible where hard slabs sit above weak sugary snow.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

MONDAY: Isolated flurries with up to 5 cm by the morning, light north winds, alpine temperatures around -8 C.TUESDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods, light northwest winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northwest winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on the weekend. Wind slabs are possible to trigger in isolated locations, but the main concern continues to be the possibility of triggering the weak faceted layers deeper in the snowpack.

Snowpack Summary

A dusting of new snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces, while a recent melt-freeze cycle has left a hard crust at lower elevations (up to 1400 m in the west and 1900 m in the east). The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets with the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.

Regions covered