Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 15th, 2023 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
Mikey,
Avalanche Canada
Managing this complex snowpack is tricky. Below tree line is challenging travel due to the fact that most of the snowpack is facets. The alpine is so variable and thus the deep persistent slab is difficult to forecast. The best approach is to choose lower angle terrain with little consequence.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were seen or reported.
Snowpack Summary
Treeline and alpine windslabs continue to be the main avalanche concern in terms of "triggerability". They are improving with the the relatively warm temperatures, but still expect to find reactive pockets in steep and/or convex terrain. In terms of consequence, the dreaded Nov 5 facets still have a firm grip on the low probability/high consequence title. Some of our neighbours to the west have seen failures on this layer, which suggest that new snow loading or a wind slab trigger is a critical factor for when this layer will fail.
Weather Summary
Thursday will bring mostly cloudy skies with a trace of snow. Temperatures will be between -12c and -8c with strong SW winds.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Open slopes at treeline and alpine areas look plump and ready for a trigger. Low angle terrain is still key.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
Thin areas are where this layer will be easiest to trigger. Be thinking about wide propagations as the snowpack above is more cohesive than before.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 16th, 2023 4:00PM
