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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 24th, 2021–Nov 25th, 2021

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

Regions

South Rockies.

Find the best riding in areas sheltered from the wind. Wind and flurries will continue to build slabs in exposed areas around treeline and above.

Confidence

Low - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday night: Cloudy with increasing winds. Southwest winds 40-60 km/hr. Alpine temperature low -7C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Thursday: Flurries, up to 10 cm through the day. Southwest winds, 40-60 with gusts to 70 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -3C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Friday: Flurries, 5-10 cm. Southwest winds, 30-40 gusting to 75 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -2C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, isolated flurries. Southwest winds 30-40 km/hr. Alpine temperature high 1C. Freezing level 2000 m and rising.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanche observations. Note we have very few field observations this early in the season. 

Snowpack Summary

Wind has modified 5-10 cm of recent snow into a variety of pressed surfaces. Strong winds will continue to scour exposed features and load slopes in the alpine and treeline, expect to anything from find bare rock to dense wind slab along ridgelines and in open terrain.

Two crusts are found in the snowpack: the mid-November rain crust is buried 20-30 cm and has been reported up to 2100 m, and a crust from early November is found at the bottom of the snowpack up to 2300 m.

Snowpack depths range from 40-100 cm at treeline elevations. Higher elevations may hold a deeper snowpack, but also be more heavily impacted from recent winds. Snowpack depths decrease rapidly below 2000 m.

Early season hazards are very real right now at all elevations, be wary of thin/shallow snowpacks, rocks, stumps, creeks, and other sharks hidden under a dusting of fresh snow.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.