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

Apr 15th, 2021–Apr 18th, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Waterton Lakes.

The potential is there to have a widespread avalanche cycle with the given forecast for this weekend.

Weather Forecast

The weekend is forecasted for high freeze levels and strong solar input. The last forecasted good freeze is Friday night.

Avalanche Canada's Mountain Weather Forecast is a great regional-scale resource for up-to-date weather information. SPOTWX is a good resource for local scale weather forecasts.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 30cm of recent snow in the alpine with minimal wind effect. This sits on a supportive crust that exists to ridgetop except on high north faces. Overall a well consolidated snowpack. With warming temps we expect the snowpack to become isothermal over the weekend.

Avalanche Summary

We suspect a widespread avalanche cycle on all aspects to mountain top with forecasted freezing levels and solar input over the weekend. 

Please consider submitting a MIN report if you see an avalanches.

Confidence

Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.