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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 18th, 2025–Feb 19th, 2025

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

Regions

South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

For the best and safest riding, seek out areas of soft snow, untouched by the wind.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

There have been reports of a few small (size 1) dry loose avalanches running in steep terrain in the past 2 days.

Snowpack Summary

Around 25 cm of new snow has fallen over the weekend, accompanied by light to moderate wind.

The new snow sits on 20 to 40 cm of mostly faceted snow sitting on a weak layer from late January. The weak layer consists of a crust on sun-exposed slopes, and a layer of surface hoar or facets on all other aspects.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Clear sky. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -16 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. 25 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 25 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.