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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2023–Mar 18th, 2023

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

Hazard for peak solar warming!!!

Avoid steep solar slopes in the afternoon as temps are forecast to rise through the weekend. Expect the most warming to take place in the east side of the park.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Several natural wet loose to size 2 observed from the road this week

Snowpack Summary

5-10 cm of moist snow on solars, all elevations with a strong o/n refreeze. This new crust caps a 25cm windslab over an old melt freeze crust on solars and hard windslab on polars. The January melt freeze crust is buried 50-100cm. Alpine and Treeline midpack is well settled and overlies basal facets and depth hoar. Below treeline, the Jan Crust overlies facets and depth hoar to ground.

Weather Summary

Friday

Clear skies with alpine temps near zero. No precip and light winds

Saturday

Clear skies with alpine temps climbing to +1. No precip and light to mod winds

Sunday

Clear skies alpine temps +3. No precip and light winds

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.