Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Dec 30 – 31, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

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

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Wind slabs may be found behind ridges, ribs and gully walls. In specific thin snowpack areas, it may be possible for a wind slab to trigger a failure on a deeply buried weak layer.

Confidence

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

Weather Forecast

Monday-Wednesday: Expect benign weather with light winds, alpine temperatures around -8 and no precipitation. It may warm up a bit on Wednesday, with the freezing level rising to 1400 m.

Avalanche Summary

Size 1-2 loose dry avalanches failed naturally on Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs may be found behind terrain breaks such as ridges, ribs and gully walls. A generally settled upper snowpack overlies two or more buried crusts. The December crust is found 70-140 cm below the surface and the November crust/facet layer is near the base of the snowpack. Recent snowpack tests have shown little reactivity on these layers, apart from in the Flathead Range near Fernie, where sudden results on the November crust and a large settlement were observed on Saturday. Although unlikely, there is a lingering possibility of triggering a deep avalanche, especially from thin snowpack areas. Check out the forecaster’s blog for more discussion on this.

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