Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Dec 9 – 10, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–4
    New snow and winds have created new wind slabs. Watch for triggering in gullies, below ridgecrests and behind terrain features

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–6
    We have not heard of any new releases on this early season rain crust; however, an avalanche at this interface could be surprisingly large and destructive.

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations for the entire period

Weather Forecast

Monday: Light flurries winds northwesterly moderate to strong. Alpine temperatures -8Tuesday: Light precipitation. Alpine temperatures -8 with a freezing level at 900m. Moderate southwesterly winds in the morning becoming northwest in the pm.Wednesday: Broken skies, light flurries, winds light from the northwest and alpine temperatures -10. 

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanche observations.

Snowpack Summary

Recent storm accumulations have been variable throughout the region, however some ares saw significant snowfall earlier in the week. Recent accumulations may sit over a rain crust that extends up to 2000 m, the new snow may have a poor bond to this crust. Widespread wind slabs exist at higher elevations, although I suspect that in recent days they may have gained some strength. There have been reports of buried surface hoar up to1m down. This layer, which was buried at the end of November, seems most prevalent on the west side of the region. Little is known about its current reactivity.At the base of the snowpack an early November crust which is associated with a layer of facets either directly above or below. Recent tests have shown sudden results at this interface. In general, snowpack data is sparse in this region and significant variations likely exist from one drainage to another. Digging down and making your own observations will be critical to safe slope selection. Any observations from the field are welcome at [email protected].

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