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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 26th, 2024–Jan 29th, 2024

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

Another big warm-up is on the way. Expect hazard to increase through the weekend as freezing levels rise. Persistent layers may become more reactive with warm temps.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Several large avalanches were observed from last weeks wind event, some failing to persistent layers. No new avalanches observed in the last 72 hours.

Snowpack Summary

Small wind slabs forming in the alpine with strong SW winds. Below 2000m a new crust exists from last weeks warms temps. The Dec 23 melt freeze crust and facets are down 40-100 cm. An early season basal crust complex exists in most places in the alpine and at treeline. Significantly less snow in the eastern areas of the park. Snowpack depths between 30 - 170 cm.

Weather Summary

Sat

Partly cloudy with scattered flurries. Freezing levels will rise to 2300m. Ridgetop winds will be strong to extreme SW

Sun

Partly cloudy with scattered flurries and rain showers. Freezing levels to 2500m with extreme SW winds.

Mon

Partly cloudy with freezing levels rising to 3600 m, strong SW winds.

For more info see: Mountain Weather Forecast.

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.

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.

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.