Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 29th, 2015 5:45PM

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

tim haggarty, Parks Canada

Waterton Lakes.

Although the current crusts can allow access some novel locations, be cautious about hunting for soft snow in the shaded high terrain as human triggering remains possible. Bring your ski crampons, ice axe and crampons for secure travel on the crusts.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Temperatures should remain below freezing at Little Prairie through Fri although there may be some solar heating. Moist Pacific air will start to affect the area as it approaches Sat with trace amounts of snow possible and maybe up to 15cm through Tuesday if the arctic air approaching over the prairies traps the moist air over the divide.

Snowpack Summary

A 5 to 15cm thick crust exists on solar aspects to ridgetop. On shaded aspects a 1cm temperature crust is found at 2200m and the snow remained dry at 2500m. Concern for both thin windslabs and the Dec facets and crust layer remains TL and above on shaded aspects with technicians finding sudden shears down 40 to 80cm on the Dec layer.

Avalanche Summary

Now that temperatures have cooled down natural avalanche activity has diminished however skier triggering remains a concern in specific areas : Treeline and above on shaded slopes.

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

10 to 30cm thick over an interface of weak, faceted snow, these old slabs linger and may still be triggered by skiers looking for dry snow in the high shaded alpine terrain.

Watch for areas of hard wind slab in steep alpine features.Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

Now 40 to 120cm deep these slabs continue to stand out as a real concern. Be particularly mindful in thin snowpack areas where this layer is more likely to be triggered.

Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Feb 1st, 2015 4:00PM