Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Nov 25th, 2015 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
grant statham,
Parks Canada
Looks like a beautiful few days ahead, with clear skies and gradually warming temperatures. Expect a significant warm up for the weekend, with freezing levels to 2500 m on Saturday and valley bottom temperatures climbing above zero.
Summary
Weather Forecast
High pressure dominates for the next few days, but with an accompanying deep freeze. Starting Wed at noon, warmer air began to overrun the cold air in the valley bottoms and a classic inversion (warmer air aloft) situation is establishing. Thursday remains cool (-5 to -15), but a big warm up starts on Fri with freezing levels reaching 2500m on Sat.
Snowpack Summary
10 cm of snow from Monday night has been blown into small windslabs up to 20 cm deep in isolated areas leeward to the north winds. Otherwise, the snowpack is relatively well settled for November in the Rockies, with no persistent weak layers (yet). However, we expect the facetting process to be well underway this week in areas of shallow snow.
Avalanche Summary
Other than small, isolated surface slabs up to size 1 reported by the ski area avalanche control teams, we have observed no fresh avalanches in the last 72 hours. However, we have no observations from high alpine, glaciated terrain so remain slightly uncertain about this kind of terrain.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Wind Slabs
Small windslabs are possible in isolated locations, perhaps providing a surprise during otherwise good conditions. The main concern is for terrain traps (above cliffs, gullies) where small avalanches have bigger consequences.
Be careful with wind loaded pockets while approaching and climbing ice routes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Nov 26th, 2015 4:00PM
