Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Waterton Lakes.
Ski quality varies throughout the day with solar warming.
Ice and snow close to town continue to deteriorate with high freezing levels.
Weather Forecast
Sunday: Mainly sunny with cloudy periods. SW winds gusting to moderate. Alpine High -1. Freezing levels 2000m.
Monday: Cloudy with flurries in the afternoon, trace amounts snow. Moderate SW wind . Alpine temps, high -4. Freezing levels 1600m.
Tuesday: Cloudy with flurries, amounting to 10 - 15 cm. Light NE winds. Alpine high -7. FL valley bottom.
Snowpack Summary
Winds have pressed or scoured snowpack at all elevations. Moist snow to approximately 2000m on Saturday and higher on steep solar aspects. This overlies Jan 18 crust extending all aspects up to 2000m, and higher on solar aspects. Well settled midpack, with facets above Dec 4 crust, buried 150-200 cm, above Nov layers.
Avalanche Summary
A few small wet loose avalanches observed during peak warming on Thursday. Please post any avalanche observations on the Mountain Information Network, we really appreciate any observations.
Confidence
Due to the quality of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Cornices
High freezing levels and alpine inversions throughout the weekend will weaken cornices.
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could trigger slabs.
- Cornices become weak with prolonged solar radiation, avoid traveling under these large hazards.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 3
Wind Slabs
Warm temps have caused settlement in the snowpack at lower elevations. Windslabs still exist in higher terrain, especially on polar slopes
- Use caution on steep lee and cross-loaded slopes
- Travel on ridgetops to avoid wind slabs on slopes below.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2