South Rockies

Plan to maintain a high level of awareness, carefully observing and continuously assessing conditions as you navigate the terrain.

Few loose dry avalanches out of steep alpine and treeline terrain were observed in the Elk Valley on Tuesday.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a MIN report!

Recent snow accumulations vary across the region from 10 to 20 cm. The previous SW wind has formed firm, wind-affected surfaces at upper elevations in the east part of the region, while the surface snow is mostly unconsolidated in the west part of the region.

See the conditions from north of Sparwood here.

At lower elevations, the upper snowpack contains a melt-freeze crust and facets layer, particularly in south-facing terrain.

Snowpack depth varies significantly across the region, from 50 to over 150 cm.

Thursday Night

Overcast with light snowfall 1 to 2 cm. 10 to 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with snowfall 2-5 cm. 10 to 25 km/h Northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy with light snowfall 1 to 2 cm. 15 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Sunday

Cloudy with light snowfall 1 to 2 cm. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
• Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
• Pay attention to the wind; once it starts to blow, sensitive wind slabs are likely to form.