Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 11th, 2015 5:09PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Storm Slabs and Wind Slabs.
conrad janzen,
Avalanche Canada
The skiing is excellent but make sure you stop, dig down, and test the Dec 3 surface hoar layer which is widespread below 1900m. Ice climbers around Field should pay particular attention to this, as many of the routes are in this elevation band.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Saturday will be overcast with a few flurries but little in the way of accumulations. Temperatures will range from -4 to -10 and winds will be light to moderate from the west.
Snowpack Summary
In most places below 1900m, a 30-50 cm soft slab of recent storm snow sits over the December 3rd surface hoar. This is producing easy shears in snow pit tests and slowly settling into a more cohesive slab. In the alpine, winds from the recent storm have left wind slabs in lee areas.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche control on Friday at the Lake Louise ski resort produced slab avalanches in alpine lee areas up to size 2. Small loose snow avalanches were also observed in steep alpine terrain.
Confidence
Problems
Storm Slabs
A 30-45cm slab is forming over a dangerous layer of surface hoar below 1900m. Treat all steep open slopes below tree line with suspicion until you can rule out this weak layer.
- Avoid open slopes and convex rolls at and below treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
The recent storm was accompanied by moderate to strong winds at tree line and above. Things are improving but watch out for wind slabs in typically suspicious areas after a storm: leeward and cross loaded slopes or slopes near ridge crests.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 12th, 2015 4:00PM
