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

Dec 23rd, 2022–Dec 24th, 2022

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

Regions

Akamina, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South.

Watch for wind loaded features as you move through terrain. Rapid wind slab development is expected where loose snow is available for transport as strong to extreme westerly winds continue.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed in the past few days.

If you are heading into the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.

Snowpack Summary

Strong westerly winds have redistrubted recent snow into wind slabs at higher elevations. On south facing slopes wind slab could have formed over a sun crust. A layer of surface hoar down around 30cm can be found in sheltered terrain on all aspects up to 2000m, This layer could be a concern where wind slabs form above.

A weak layer consisting of facets and a crust formed in November is now buried around 60cm deep.

In general, the snowpack is quite weak and faceted with average snowpack depths of around 150cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Cloudy with trace amounts of new snow expected. Moderate westerly winds. Freezing levels below valley bottom.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with around 3cm of new snow expected. Strong to extreme southwest winds and a high of -16°C

Sunday

5 cm possible overnight. Mostly cloudy with light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Moderate westerly winds. Freezing levels around 500 m, high temperatures of -5°C.

Monday

Strong southwest winds return. Freezing levels rise, to around 2000 m. High temperatures above 0°C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.

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.