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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 24th, 2024–Jan 25th, 2024

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

Regions

South Rockies, Akamina, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Avoid wind-loaded features where you're more likely to trigger a slab.

The best riding can be found in sheltered terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported at the time of publishing on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the sun triggered several wet loose avalanches (up to size 2) in steep south-facing terrain. Many of which scrubbed down to facet layers.

Two large, explosive-triggered avalanches (size 2 and 3) were reported on Monday in the region's south. Both avalanches occurred at treeline on southeast slopes. They failed on sugary facets down 30 to 50 cm.

Snowpack Summary

15 to 30 cm of recent snowfall continues to be redistributed by southwest wind. There is a layer of sugary facets that are buried 30-50 cm deep and in some places sits on a crust from December.

The lower snowpack contains a series of crusts and faceted snow that have been unreactive so far. Expect snow depth at treeline to be 100 to 150 cm.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy with a trace of snow, southwest alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -5 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with no new snow, west alpine winds 25 to 40km/h, treeline temperature -6 °C.

Friday

Mix of sun and cloud with no new snow, west alpine winds 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with no new snow, southwest alpine winds 35 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

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.