Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 22nd, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
jcoulter,
Avalanche Canada
Recent reverse loading from northeast winds have formed wind slabs in unusual places. There is uncertainty about how quickly slabs will bond to old surfaces like melt-freeze crusts and hard wind-pressed snow.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Uncertainty is due to how quickly the snowpack will recover and gain strength.
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear, winds light to moderate from the northeast. Alpine low -27.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny with increasing afternoon cloud. Light northwest to southwest winds. Alpine high of -16.Â
THURSDAY: Light flurries possible overnight Wed/Thurs. Partly cloudy, light north wind, alpine high of -10.
FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Light southwest wind and alpine highs of -10.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday a skier accidentally triggered a wind slab on a reverse loaded feature in the Lizard Range (MIN here). There were other reports of small natural and skier-controlled wind slabs in the region on Monday as well. On Saturday there was a machine triggered avalanche on an old buried surface hoar layer in an open gully feature in the Rolling Hills area.
Snowpack Summary
The 5-15 cm of most recent snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong northeast winds and has formed wind slabs in unusual places. In south-facing terrain, new snow sits on top of melt-freeze crusts, and in open terrain recent snow sits over old firm wind-affected surfaces.Â
A buried surface hoar layer may be found 30-50 cm deep on sheltered, north-facing treeline-type features. This layer has become significantly less reactive and harder to find, but it can still catch riders off guard in isolated areas. Check out this recent MIN from the Rolling Hills area for an example.
The lower snowpack is well consolidated, with a crust/facet layer found near the bottom of the snowpack. It is currently considered dormant, but could become active later this season. Check out the forecaster blog for more information.Â
Terrain and Travel
- Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of buried weak layers.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Watch for pockets of wind slab on various aspects in exposed terrain and around ridgelines. The storm initially came in with southwest winds, but with the intrusion of arctic air, winds switched to the northeast potentially building slabs in less common locations.
These slabs have formed on top of old crusts and hard wind-pressed snow and there is uncertainty about how quickly they will bond to old surfaces.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Persistent slab avalanches are possible mostly on shaded aspects due to a layer of buried surface hoar around 40-50 cm deep. The nature of this problem is tricky because of its spotty distribution and the presence of various crusts above it on some aspects. It has been most active recently in the Flathead and there is some evidence (see MIN post) it can still be triggered in sheltered open treed features.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 23rd, 2022 4:00PM
