Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 21st, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.
Chris Gooliaff,
A new persistent weak layer is buried within human-triggerable depths. Put your thinking caps on, don't blindly follow other tracks.
Cold temps warrant bringing extra clothes/gear and a repair kit. Hypothermia is a real danger at -25*C!
Summary
Weather Forecast
The cold is here, blown in by the Northern winds.
Tonight: Clear, cold! -27*C, mod E winds
Tues: Sun and clouds, Alp high -21*C, light E winds
Wed: Cloudy with sun and isolated flurries, Alp high -18*C, light W winds
Thurs: Mix of sun/cloud, Alp high -13*C, light/mod NW winds
Snowpack Summary
40-60cm of storm snow over the weekend, more on the west side of the Park than the east. Wind affected snow in the alpine and down into tree line, with strong N'ly winds reverse loading on S'ly aspects . The Feb 15 surface hoar (2-8mm) is down 50-80cm and most prevalent below tree line. The Jan 29 surface hoar is down 80-130cm and breaking down.
Avalanche Summary
Reports of skiers triggering the slabs at Treeline and below in steep, unsupported terrain on the Vaux Moraine, Mushroom People, and Connaught Ck.
On Sat, natural avalanches to size 3 and artillery controlled avalanches to size 3.5 were observed. The Feb 15 surface hoar layer was active during this cycle, pulling slabs at lower elevations.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Persistent Slabs
~60cm of snow and variable mod/strong winds have formed slabs, burying the Feb 15 persistent weak layer (surface hoar, 2-8mm, or a crust on steep solar aspects). The SH is more prevalent at Treeline and below, whereas the crust exists into the Alpine
- Use caution on open slopes and convex rolls at treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
- Persistent slabs may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar asp where it sits on sun crust
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Mod/strong SW winds during the weekend storm have flipped to mod/strong N'ly winds, thus distributing wind slabs on all aspects. Use caution at ridge crests, lee features, and open exposed, cross-loaded slopes at Treeline and above.
- If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Watch for surface cracking and stiffer surface layers of snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 22nd, 2022 4:00PM
