Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Dec 8 – 9, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

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

The wind may just be stripping the snow, but if it's landing on the slope it's forming a wind slab. The best and safest riding will be on low-angle, sheltered slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Small wind slabs may form if there is soft snow available for transport.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since Wednesday, but it is suspected that there were some small wind slabs that failed on Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 10 cm of new snow from Saturday is being redistributed by westerly wind. Scouring the west side and forming wind slabs in leeward areas.

There is a melt-freeze crust near the base of the snowpack, but it generally appears to be stable and is not currently expected to be a problem for the region.

Treeline snow depths are typically 50 to 80 cm, with deeper wind-loaded pockets in the alpine.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Cloudy with 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Sunday

Cloudy in the morning, clearing through the day. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature dropping to -8 °C.

Monday

Mostly sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.

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