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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 30th, 2023–Dec 31st, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

North Rockies, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw.

Adopt a conservative approach, while the reactivity and depth of problematic surface hoar layers vary across the region.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported in the region, however there are currently very few field observations.

Last weekend, there were a few reports of natural and skier-triggered avalanches, likely sliding on a layer of buried surface hoar; mostly at treeline and up to size 2.

If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

Various wind-affected surfaces in exposed alpine and treeline terrain. Settled powder may still exist in wind-sheltered terrain. Below treeline, a fresh crust has formed either at or near the surface.

The mid-pack contains several layers of note; a layer of surface hoar down 30 to 50 cm, a significant crust from the early December rain event down around 60 cm, and a layer of surface hoar down 70 to 120 cm.

Snowpack depth throughout this region is highly variable and as a result, the depths of the above-mentioned layers are approximate and could be different than what you find in your riding area.

Check out this recent MIN report detailing the current snow conditions in the Pine Pass area.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Increasing cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 20 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C, freezing level 1500 m and dropping.

Sunday

Clouds clearing through the day with isolated flurries, southwest alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C.

Monday

Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, southwest alpine winds 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 10 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
  • Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
  • Start with conservative lines and watch for clues of instability.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.