Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 9th, 2013 8:03AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Loose Dry, Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

ali haeri, Parks Canada

Glacier.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Northerly flow will bring light amounts of snow throughout the week with warmer temperatures.

Snowpack Summary

5cm of new snow sits over 20-30cm of facetted and unconsolidated snow. The November 28 surface hoar layer is down 20 to 30cm and is on a crust on steep south aspects. Overall the entire snowpack is faceting with the November 12 interface down 50-100cm.

Avalanche Summary

1 loose and 1 slab, both size 2.0 natural avalanches, observed east of Rogers Pass summit in the highway corridor.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Dry

Very cold temperatures from the past few days have made the upper snowpack unconsolidated and riders should expect fast sluffing on steep slopes in areas that were not wind affected.

Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

Variable wind slabs in hardness and thickness are now buried under the new snow and will be more difficult to identify. These were observed throughout the park in exposed areas.

Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

The surface hoar layer down 50-100cm remains a concern. Triggering this layer is most likely in and around shallow snowpack areas.

Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

3 - 4

Valid until: Dec 10th, 2013 8:00AM