Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Waterton Lakes.
East wind is coming. Watch out for atypical wind loading especially over previously thin areas.
Cold temps will persist for a couple more days, bring your layers and hot drinks and have a good trip plan.
Weather Forecast
Tues: Cold temps continue with an alpine high of -25. Light fluries expected and rigetop winds from S-M out of the east.
Wed: Temps rising in the afternoon to -13 in the alpine under clear skies. Winds L-M from the north and east
Thurs: Temps continuing to rise with an alpine high of -10. Partially cloudy with S-M winds from the north.
Snowpack Summary
25-40cm of new storm snow has fallen with cooling temps and light wind. This overlies pressed surfaces and hard windslabs from previous extreme SW winds. A melt freeze crust up to 2000m and higher on solar aspects is found 20-50 cm down, no failures yet in test profiles on this layer. Well settled midpack. Dec 4 crust, buried 150-200 cm.
Avalanche Summary
Several small loose dry natural avalanches observed from steep rocky terrain. Poor visibility on field days in the last two days. If you go out on an adventure be sure to share your experience and snowpack information on the Mountain Information Network, we really appreciate any observations.
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Atypical winds forecast for the coming days will reverse load feature.
- Avoid travelling in areas that have been reverse loaded by winds.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Dry
This problem wont persist in anything but very steep sheltered terrain as the winds pick up through the week.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5