Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West, South Rockies.
Assess for wind slab before committing to steep lines.
Westerly wind may have formed wind slabs at higher elevations.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a few natural size 1.5 wind slab avalanches were reported on southeast alpine slopes. See the MIN for details.
If you are headed into the backcountry please consider sharing your observations via the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Ongoing westerly wind has scoured west facing slopes. Small wind slabs may exist on other aspects.
At treeline and below a layer of facets over a crust, from early December, can be found down 40 to 70 cm.
The lower snowpack is generally well-settled.
Treeline snowpack depth varies significantly across the region, from 50 to over 150 cm.
Weather Summary
Thursday Night
Mix of cloud and clear sky. 30 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of snow possible. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Sunday
Mix of sun and cloud with trace amounts of snow possible. 10 to 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Westerly wind has scoured west facing slopes. Small wind slabs may still be found on other aspects.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5