Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 1st, 2023 2:45PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.

Avalanche Canada mkoppang, Avalanche Canada

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Well lets hope for some snow before Valentines day, that gives us two weeks to prepare! In the meantime keep watch for thin areas where the weak base could be triggerred causing a large avalanche. Windslabs are being encountered in alpine areas.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new was observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

Well its hard to talk about last weeks small snow amounts still! 5-10cm of snow is overlying a thin crust from the previous warm temperatures. This crust is just thick enough for you to break through and make the skiing poor....

Watch for windslabs in alpine areas in the upper snowpack making thin weak spots harder to spot. Where the snowpack is thin these are the places wherein a skier may trigger the weak basal facets. As the snowpack above the weaker base has become more cohesive the potential for wide propagation increases. This will be a common theme this winter and you should always be thinking about consequences of an avalanche. Wind slabs may also cause the weak base to fail. Its a tough snowpack this year and unfortunately, it isn't likely to change much this season.

Ice climbers in the Ghost and front ranges should watch for pockets of windslabs along routes that may be triggered.

Weather Summary

Wednesdays temperatures will be in the -10c range with winds increasing to strong by mid-day. There may be a few isolated flurries along the Spray lakes road overnight but accumulations are minimal.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

Windslabs in alpine terrain along ridgelines. Reverse loading has these on Southern aspects.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Deep Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Deep Persistent Slabs

Thin areas are where this layer will be easiest to trigger. Be thinking about wide propagations as the snowpack above is more cohesive than before.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Feb 2nd, 2023 4:00PM

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