Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South.
Before committing to your line, check for signs of windslab instability like shooting cracks, or fresh avalanches.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, the South Rockies field team was out in the Crowsnest area, and reported good skiing, and very small, isolated pockets of thin windslabs right at ridge crests. See more details in their Mountain Information Network (MIN) report here.
A number of solar-triggered, loose avalanches up to size 1 were reported on Tuesday in steep, south-facing terrain.
If you have any observations from this region, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Dry, powder snow remains on shaded (northerly) slopes. Moist snow or thin crusts exist on solar slopes and all aspects below ~2000 m.
A buried melt-freeze crust exists in the mid-snowpack, down 50 to 120 cm from the surface.
A weak layer of sugary crystals at the base of the snowpack persists. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area, but professionals continue to monitor for signs of it becoming active.
Weather Summary
Thursday Night
Clear. No new snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at high elevations. Freezing level falling to around 1500 m. Treeline temperature around -2°C.
Friday
Mostly Sunny. No new snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at high elevations. Freezing level rising to around 2500 m. Treeline temperature around 2 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy, with scattered flurries. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at high elevations. Snow line around 1500 m.
Sunday
Mostly sunny. No new snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, trending to strong at high elevations. Freezing level rising to 2500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Pay attention to isolated alpine features as well as cross-loaded features at treeline.
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Dry, soft snow persists at high elevations on shaded slopes. Moderate southwest wind in the alpine has the potential to form reactive windslabs in leeward terrain.
Use extra caution below ridgecrests and in cross-loaded features. Watch for signs of instability like shooting cracks.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2