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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 2nd, 2013–Feb 3rd, 2013

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

Regions

South Rockies.

Confidence

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

Weather Forecast

Sunday: Light snowfall occurring late in the day / Strong to extreme northwest winds / Alpine temperature of -6.0Monday: Variable cloud with light snowfall / Moderate northwest winds (with extreme gusts) / Alpine temperature of-8.0Tuesday: Light snowfall / Light southwest winds / Alpine temperature of -9.0

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported from the region

Snowpack Summary

Westerly winds have shifted variable amounts of recent snow into wind slabs on lee slopes. A weak interface buried on Jan 23 is down about 15-35 cm. The nature of this interface varies considerably from place to place. In most locations it appears to be well bonded. Buried surface hoar was found in the north Elk Valley, but this is likely to be a localized problem. The lower snowpack is generally well-settled.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.