Avalanche forecast

Waterton Lakes

Dec 2 – 5, 2022Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

There are turns to be had in the alpine but ski quality diminishes the lower you go. Watch for early-season hazards.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Isolated natural and human-triggered dry loose avalanches were observed Thursday. Poor visibility limited alpine observations.

Snowpack Summary

20-60cm of new snow at the start of the week, with the larger accumulations falling on the north side of the park. This snow has fallen with light winds and is largely unconsolidated. Storm snow overlies a variety of old surfaces including facets, crusts, and windslab. Below treeline it is still below threshold in many places. A spotty crust exists at the bottom of the snowpack in deeper locations in the alpine and at treeline.

Weather Summary

Friday

Winds increasing in the afternoon with ridgetops forecast to be 80km/h. Temps will increase as well with a high of -10. Partially cloudy with a possibility of light flurries.

Saturday

Strong winds continue with temps rising to -5 during the day. Partially cloudy today.

Sunday

Temps continue to rise to just below freezing. Winds will be light to moderate with Broken skies.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.

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