Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 25th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
Parks Canada,
Avalanche Canada
Happy Holiday's everyone. Travel safe. Tangle weather station registered gusting 100km/hr winds and Maligne area is forecast to have steady high elevation 70 km/hr winds Tuesday to Thursday.
Summary
Confidence
Low
Avalanche Summary
No patrol occurred Monday or Tuesday and nothing new reported. Over the weekend the ski hill using explosives triggered two size 1.5 deep persistent avalanches and a small windslab. Lake Louise skihill to the South has been consistently explosive triggering windslabs size 1.5-2.
Snowpack Summary
Strong to extreme winds have redistributed surface snow and scoured windward aspects. Sheltered locations may still hold 15cm of soft snow if winds did not get to it. In protected areas, a weak layer of 7mm Surface Hoar may be 10-30cm down. The mid-lower snow pack has multiple layers of crusts and facets with one being near the ground.
Weather Summary
Icefield's area on Christmas day will be cloudy, flurries, -8 °C, SW winds 20 gusting to 60 km/h. Boxing day may bring similar weather with SW 15 gusting 40 km/h winds. Friday will be much the same as Thursday. Of note, Maligne could be blowing steady 40-70km/hr at upper elevations Wednesday to Thursday morning.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent snow and strong winds have created wind slabs. More winds are expected Tuesday and Wednesday particularly in the Maligne lake area at upper elevation. Avoid wind loaded unsupported terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
A variety of crusts with facets above and below exist at the bottom of the snowpack. These layers are going to be with us for along time and pose a low probability, high consequence situation if triggered.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 26th, 2024 4:00PM
