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

Feb 9th, 2023–Feb 10th, 2023

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

Regions

Tumbler.

Evaluate snow conditions as you transition into open terrain features, and be on the lookout for signs of instability like shooting cracks. Stiff, wind deposited snow can be expected to avalanche under the weight of a rider.

Avoid shallow, rocky snowpack areas where triggering the deep persistent weak layer is still possible

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported, but field information is very limited in this region.

We suspect users who head to the backcountry will see evidence of a natural wind slab avalanche cycle from recent storm snow and strong southwest winds.

Snowpack Summary

20-25 cm of snow from early this week is being redistributed by southwest winds into lee terrain in wind-exposed areas and at upper elevations. This overlies previous wind slabs and, a melt-freeze crust found on sun-exposed slopes and everywhere below 1600 m.

Several crust/facet/surface hoar layers exist in the upper and middle portions of the snowpack. The most concerning persistent weak layer is at the base of the snowpack from large and weak facets formed in November. This layer is widespread and most likely problematic in steep, rocky alpine terrain.

In general, the snowpack is weak and shallow in this area with an average snowpack depth of 100 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Clear. Ridge wind from the southwest 40-60 km/h. Alpine temperatures low of -5 C. Freezing level 700m.

Friday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Moderate ridge wind from the west gusting 60 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -3 C. Freezing level 1000m.

Saturday

Sunny with cloudy periods and isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Ridge wind from the west 60 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -4 C. Freezing level 1000m.

Sunday

Partly cloudy with isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Ridge wind from the southwest 60 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -2 C. Freezing level 1400m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Avalanche hazard may have improved, but be mindful that deep instabilities are still present.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.