Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 4th, 2012 9:36AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Cornices, Wind Slabs and Storm Slabs.
pgoddard,
Avalanche Canada
Summary
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain
Weather Forecast
Expect generally fine weather through the forecast period. Light winds, warm daytime temperatures at alpine elevations and no precipitation.
Avalanche Summary
Large looming cornices are likely to start falling off with warm temperatures and solar radiation. Large slab avalanches that propagate across entire slopes are possible, especially with heavy triggers such as step-down avalanches, cliff-drops, and cornice drops.
Snowpack Summary
Total snowpack depths are well above average or even new record depths for this time of year. Weaknesses within the upper snowpack and the facets and surface hoar buried mid-January, create the potential for large step-down avalanches, but things seem to be settling rapidly.Snowpack tests on the mid-January facets down 80-150cm consistently produce sudden fractures and this weakness seems to be particularly touchy below 1500m where it is shallower and sits on a crust. Weak wind slabs and large fragile cornices are lurking in exposed lee and cross-loaded terrain.
Problems
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Storm Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 5th, 2012 3:00AM
