Avalanche forecast

Waterton Lakes

Apr 20 – 21, 2016Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 10 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
No rating
Treeline
No rating
Below
No rating
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Expect continued occurrences of natural cornice failures, due to sustained high freezing levels.

  • Loose Wet

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

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–3
    The free water generated by snowmelt will make ground surfaces wet, possibly causing areas with existing glide cracks to avalanche to ground. These avalanches would be very large.

Weather Forecast

The hot sunny weather we've been enjoying will persist through Thursday.  On Friday, a weak upper trough arriving from the SW will give increasingly cloudy conditions and the rain/snow showers.  Total accumulations are forecast to be 10-15mm by Saturday evening, with freezing levels as low as 2000m.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is isothermal (punchy and wet to ground) and disappearing quick. Surface crusts may recover briefly after cool, clear nights, but will rapidly break down with the new day. North aspects in the alpine may be an exception, where surfaces can remain firm but winter-like through out the day. Most lower elevation lopes in the East are dry.

Avalanche Summary

No significant activity has been observed or reported recently.

Confidence

Regions covered