Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 19th, 2016 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

jonas hoke, Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes.

It feels like late spring in the valley and mid winter in the alpine. Don't let the conditions at the parking lot lull you in to being complacent.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Temperatures remain relatively cool, with 10-15cm of snow forecast for Friday night into Saturday morning accompanied by moderate SW wind. Skies clear by Saturday evening as the winds shift to being more westerly. Cloudy skies return for Sunday afternoon as the trailing end of a weak front brings flurries and ongoing westerly wind into Monday.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50mm in the past week, accompanied by warm temperatures and strong SW winds. This has left in it's wake a well settled snowpack below treeline; a couple of buried crusts, down as deep as 30cm and 50cm (widespread below 2200m and extending into the alpine on solar aspects), and several layers of stiff windslab in the alpine and at treeline.

Avalanche Summary

A few natural size 1-1.5 avalanches occurred Thursday night into Friday morning out of N-E facing terrain at treeline, these are suspected to have been windslabs.

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Problems

Wind Slabs

Another layer of fresh windslab will be created by Friday nights storm.

If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

While mostly stubborn to trigger, buried layers of old windslab over a couple of buried crusts have the potential for wide propagation. Use a probe or a pole to test for the presence of these buried layers.

Avoid steep, open slopes.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Feb 22nd, 2016 4:00PM