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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 15th, 2024–Dec 16th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Small wind slabs may have formed in the alpine with new snow and wind.

The best riding conditions are in terrain sheltered from the wind.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since Tuesday.

Snowpack Summary

Around 10 cm of snow came with strong southwest wind and is now redistributed into lee areas, potentially creating wind slabs. This now sits on a crust on south slopes, wind-affected snow in exposed areas and hard snow in lees.

The snowpack depth varies greatly as well, windward slopes may only have 50 cm on them while leeward slopes could have as much as 150 cm.

Check out this MIN from the South Rockies Field team on Friday.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy with 1 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 50 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • This is a good time for exploring terrain.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.