Avalanche forecast

North Rockies

Dec 21 – 22, 2023Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Fresh snow and increasing winds are further burying a concerning layer of surface hoar.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    Buried surface hoar layers will become more concerning as new snow accumulates and forms cohesive slabs above.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2

    As new snow continues to accumulate, surface slabs will increase in size and reactivity. Deeper deposits of cohesive snow will be likely in leeward terrain features.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported. There are very few field observations coming from this forecast area. Remember that a lack of avalanche reports does not necessarily mean a lack of avalanche activity.

If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

New snow continues to bury a variety of previously wind-affected surfaces.

A problematic surface hoar layer is roughly 40 to 70 cm below the surface.

The mid snowpack likely contains multiple frozen crusts, while the lower snowpack is generally faceted. Average snowpack depths at treeline range from 50 to 100 cm.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 50 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 50 to 70 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 60 to 70 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 40 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Choose conservative terrain and watch for clues of instability.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

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