Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 29th, 2021 7:11PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Loose Dry and Wind Slabs.
Conrad Janzen,
Sluffing in steep terrain remains the major concern, especially in southern areas that got the most storm snow. Manage your sluffs carefully in steep terrain. Watch for an increase in hazard if the wind starts moving the storm snow around up high.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Not much change Friday night and Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon the alpine wind starts to increase into the 40-60 km/hr range which will start moving the recent snow around. Treeline temperatures will start around -10'C and warm slightly in the afternoon with the arrival of the wind to the -4 to -7'C range.
Snowpack Summary
10-40 cm of storm snow with the most in the southern areas. The storm snow sits over facets in sheltered areas and over previous wind effect in exposed alpine and tree line areas. The mid-pack is well settled with the various persistent weak layers visible in the snowpack but unreactive to stability tests. The Nov crust/facets are near the ground.
Avalanche Summary
Some small natural loose dry avalanches observed in very steep alpine terrain with a couple small thin slabs in wind prone areas. Surface sluffing in steep ski terrain running far and fast in the Kootenay area.
Confidence
Problems
Loose Dry
10 to 40 cm of storm snow is sitting on a facetted interface and has the potential to sluff easily in steep terrain. This problem is most pronounced in confined gullies and couloirs and the hazard will increase as the winds increase on Saturday.
- Be careful of loose dry power sluffing in steep terrain.
- On steep slopes, pull over periodically or cut into a new line to manage sluffing.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
As the winds increase on Saturday afternoon the recent storm snow will get blown around forming wind slabs in lee areas of the alpine. This problem will increase with more snow and wind over the following couple of days.
- Use caution in lee areas. Wind loading could create slabs.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 30th, 2021 4:00PM
