Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 22nd, 2017 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Deep Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.

Parks Canada garth lemke, Parks Canada

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Remote skier triggering of avalanches continue amongst our nearest neighbors. The weak base will persist for sometime. Cautious decisions are key as avalanche  consequences would be severe.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Light snow this week with light NW winds shifting Easterly on Friday. Seasonal temperatures dipping to -18 on Friday. 

Snowpack Summary

25cm snow last week at the Columbia Icefields with 35km/hr SW winds built windslabs at TL and ALP. Winds continue light to moderate from SW. A rain crust is below 1900m. A dense upper snowpack overlies a weak faceted base making for unpredictable dangerous avalanche conditions. Feb 10 SH layer may be 40cm deep yet its reactivity remains dormant. 

Avalanche Summary

No patrol on Monday or Tuesday. SAR team busy in Mcbride on rescue. On Feb 17 several size 2-3 avalanches were triggered by skiers from a significant distance away in the McCarib Pass area. Widespread whumphing and shooting cracks were noted in the Whistler creek area recently. 

Confidence

The weather pattern is stable

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Deep Persistent Slabs
Widespread whumphing and shooting cracks in previously un-skied terrain. Recent natural activity and remote triggering of this weakness resulted in avalanches up to size 3 failing on the weak faceted snowpack. Caution is recommended.
Watch for shooting cracks or stiffer feeling snow. Avoid areas that appear wind loaded.Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs
Previous 25cm snow and moderate SW winds have added to the windslab problem in the alpine and open tree-line features.
Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Feb 23rd, 2017 4:00PM

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