Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 4th, 2019 4:02PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
jesse milner,
Parks Canada
Up to 30cm of new snow has fallen in the Columbia Icefields area. There could be some good skiing out there!
Summary
Weather Forecast
More snow on the horizon.
Thursday: Sun and cloud with possible isolated flurries. High -10 C. Light SW winds.
Friday: Periods of snow. Up to 15cm with temps around -5 to -10. Light to moderate SW winds.
Saturday: Flurries with up to 10cm. Light SW winds and temps ranging from -5 to -15.
Details here: Mountain Weather Forecast.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 30cm of new snow in the Columbia Icefields area fell on to a mix of surfaces; surface facets, surface hoar, and previous wind slab and/or hard wind pressed surfaces. The moderate winds built soft wind slabs at ridge tops. Oct. and Nov. crusts are preserved in the mid and lower snowpack and both seem have a good bond to the overlaying snow.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche control work in the Parker Ridge area today produced little results, only 2 soft size 2 wind slabs were triggered from explosives. On our drive back to town we had decent visibility and observed no new natural avalanches.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Wind Slabs
New soft windslabs have formed in the lee areas from the storm that just pushed through. The distribution at treeline is more isolated.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
- Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and treeline. Recent storm snow has formed wind slabs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 5th, 2019 4:00PM
