Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 15th, 2012 10:10AM

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

jlammers, Avalanche Canada

Northwest Inland.

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Thursday

Weather Forecast

Moderate snowfall should start late Wednesday evening and continue until Thursday afternoon. Snowfall amounts are expected to be 10-15cm. Trace amounts are expected on Friday and mostly clear skies are forecast for Saturday. Winds should be moderate from the southwest switching to light and northerly by Saturday. Freezing levels should be at about 700m for the forecast period.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is generally well settled and strong. Successive melt-freeze cycles have produced crusts on all aspects at lower elevations as well as on south-facing slopes higher up. Shaded aspects in the alpine are a mix of settled powder and old windslabs. Weak surface hoar crystals sit on the crusts to treeline and in sheltered areas in the alpine and is now covered by a dusting of recently fallen snow. This snow pack structure will be the big thing to watch as the overlying slab develops.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Newly formed wind slabs will be easy to trigger, especially where they exist in combination with buried surface hoar and/or crusts.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Feb 16th, 2012 9:00AM