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

Jan 20th, 2024–Jan 21st, 2024

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

Glacier.

Warming temps, new snow and wind are the perfect recipe for fresh slab formation.

Continue to re-evaluate conditions as you gain elevation and transition into open terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A few naturals were observed on Mt. Macdonald running from steep terrain on Saturday.

Thursday; there was a close call when a skier triggered a sz 1.5 avalanche on the S/SW side of Cheops and self arrested; and a skier triggered slab avalanche on a S facing moraine.

Wednesday there was a widespread natural cycle in the highway corridor, triggered by wind.

Tuesday, there was a skier triggered avalanche on the W Side of Cheops.

*All skier triggered avalanches failed on a suncrust

Snowpack Summary

30cms of recent storm snow overlies variable wind slabs/wind effect in open terrain, and settling facetted snow in sheltered areas below tree-line.

A sun crust, down 50cm (most prominent at tree-line) has been the failure plane for isolated & large skier triggered avalanches recently.

Below 2100m there is decomposing crust down 75cm (from Dec 5th/6th).

The Dec 1 surface hoar layer is down 110cm and is decomposing.

Weather Summary

Expect a temperature inversion and flurries into Monday as heavy cold air is slowly pushed out.

Tonight: Trace precip. Low -3°C. Light Southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level (Fzl) 1400m

Sun: Isolated flurries. High -3°C. Fzl 1800m. Light to Moderate SW wind.

Mon: Isolated flurries. High -2°C. Fzl 1800m. Light SW wind.

Tues: 5cm. Low -6°C, High -3°C. Light S wind. Fzl 1700m

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.