Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 9th, 2014 8:00AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
catherine brown,
Parks Canada
Good day to consider longer alpine tours while the ski penetration remains low.
Summary
Weather Forecast
A weak ridge of high pressure gives dry and cold condtions again to today, expect alpine temps around -10 and light ridge top winds from the south. Flurries will start overnight with 10 cm of snow forecast for Monday with increasing southerly winds, gusting to 45 km/h. Snow is forecast to continue Tuesday with another 15 cm.
Snowpack Summary
A variety of surfaces exists including hard slab, loose, cold facets, and breakable crust. Wind slabs are present in exposed terrain on many aspects due to reverse loading winds over the last 2 days. 2 buried surface hoar layers are present in the upper 15 cm of snow, waiting to be loaded by the incoming storm. The mid pack is well settled.
Avalanche Summary
Ski-cuts are producing fast sluffing to size 1 in the upper 5-15cm in loose, faceted snow. The faceted snow entrained mass and flowed into low angle terrain over 250-300m downhill. While these sluffs were not big enough to bury a person, you would certainly be pushed over by them, disconcerting in "no-fall" zones with cliffs below.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Problems
Wind Slabs
Thin pockets of wind slab are present on exposed treeline and alpine lee features. North and east winds have created reverse loading conditions.
Avoid travelling in areas that have been reverse loaded by winds.Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 10th, 2014 8:00AM
