Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Dec 22 – 23, 2011Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Shifting winds have set up windslabs on a variety of aspects, particularly north through southeast.Cross-loading is also possible on open slopes oriented parallel to the wind, which contain features and gullies to catch wind-drifted snow.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Thin slabs may be reactive on the mid-December surface hoar/facet combo. Low mass events, but running far.

Weather Forecast

Friday: Mostly sunny with gusty (up to 80km/h) westerly winds. Expect temps to -7. Saturday & Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud, with a chance of localized flurries. Continued westerly winds with highs near 0 each afternoon.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches

Confidence

Fair - Due to variable snopack conditions

Snowpack Summary

Westerly winds continue, creating windslabs on lee locations in the alpine and open treeline. A buried layer of surface hoar lies approximately 20 cm below the snow surface. Reports indicate this layer was blown around before it was buried and can only be found in isolated, sheltered locations at and below treeline. A well settled mid pack bridges over the basal weaknesses at the ground. This layer was responsible for some large releases earlier on in the season. However, there hasn't been any activity on this layer since early December and confidence is growing that it is gaining strength.

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