Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 16th, 2024–Dec 17th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
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

South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Watch for wind-loaded pockets at the treeline and above.

The best riding conditions are in terrain sheltered from the wind.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since last Tuesday.

Snowpack Summary

Around 10 cm of snow came with strong southwest wind and is now redistributed into lee areas, potentially creating wind slabs. This sits on a crust on south slopes, wind-affected snow in exposed areas and hard snow in lees.

The snowpack depth varies greatly as well, windward slopes may only have 50 cm on them while leeward slopes could have as much as 150 cm.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Thursday

Sunny. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • This is a good time for exploring terrain.

Problems

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.