Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 8th, 2019 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs.
ian jackson,
Parks Canada
Touchy conditions persist. Give those deep layers some time to adjust to the new load.
Summary
Weather Forecast
Warmer temperatures and some light precipitation are coming Wednesday and into Thursday. Only 5- 15 cm is expected by end of day Thursday. Winds will be moderate to strong SW on Wednesday night/ Thursday. Friday should see a clearing and cooling trend with the winds dyeing down.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 70 cm of snow of recent snow with variable wind effect has put a dense load over the persistent weak layers. In thicker snow pack areas, the Dec. 10th weak layer of facets is now down 100-150cm with a stronger snowpack below. In thin snowpack areas, the Dec.10th layer is mixed in with the basal facets and October crust.
Avalanche Summary
The natural avalanche cycle has tapered off, but conditions are still primed for human triggering. A localized natural cycle in the Sunshine area was likely triggered by winds, showing how touchy it still is in many areas. In the Lake Louise area, a small but deep slab was triggered just outside of the ski hill boundary in a small treeline opening
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Avalanche control work on Monday proved that this layer is still touchy. Most avalanches scrubbed down to the October 26th facet crust or the ground. This layer needs time to adjust to the load and this problem will be around for some time.
Be aware of the potential for wide propagations which could result in large avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 9th, 2019 4:00PM
