Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Nov 7th, 2020 4:00PM

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

Aaron Beardmore,

Strong NE wind has created slabs on SW aspects in the alpine.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Expect clearing on Sunday. Temperatures will stay around -15 at the ridge and close to -5 in the valley. Wind will persist from the N/NE in the strong range until early Monday. 

Snowpack Summary

10-20cm of snow on top of a 3cm supportive crust with moist snow to ground below. The crust dissipates at ~2400m. At tree line the snowpack ranges from 30-60cm deep. Expect 30 to 40cm of recent snow above 2500m with NE wind creating a reverse loading pattern late Saturday into Sunday.

Avalanche Summary

Both Lake Louise and Sunshine Village ski patrol report small thin wind slabs from ski cuts and explosives on Saturday. Nothing larger than a size 1 was observed.

Confidence

Wind effect is extremely variable on Saturday

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

Wind slabs exist from last weeks extreme SW wind event. More recent NE winds have created a reverse loading pattern. Although small in size, expect to encounter wind slabs on most aspects in the alpine.

  • Be careful with wind loaded pockets while approaching and climbing ice routes.
  • Be careful around wind loaded areas near ridge crests, cross loaded gullies and roll-overs.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Nov 8th, 2020 4:00PM