Avalanche forecast

Waterton Lakes

Feb 5 – 8, 2019Parks Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Avalanche activity appears to have tapered off with the drop in temperature. Bundle up if you are headed out!

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Windslabs have formed with recent new snow and NE winds, and may take longer than usual to bond with cold temperatures.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3
    A layer of weak facets is lurking at the bottom of the snowpack. Though there has been limited activity on this layer, it is still on our mind with consistent sudden collapse results in test profiles.

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud with no new snow. Cold temperatures down low with a strong inversion breaking down overnight and light NE windsWednesday: Sunny with cloudy periods, alpine high -18. Light N winds.Thursday: Cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine high -15. Moderate W winds

Snowpack Summary

20-30cm of recent low density snow has been redistributed by previous strong to extreme west winds, and more recent moderate NE winds in the alpine and at treeline. This sits on a melt freeze crust below 2000m. The midpack is strong in deep snowpack areas, but the facets lingering at the bottom remain a concern in thinner areas.

Avalanche Summary

After peaking on Saturday with several storm slabs to size 2.5 reported in surrounding regions on N-NE aspects at treeline and in the alpine, avalanche activity appears to have tapered off with the drop in temperature.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

Regions covered