Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

WEDNESDAY: Moderate westerly winds. 5-15 cm snow. Alpine temperature near -12.THURSDAY: Moderate to strong westerly winds. Light snow. Alpine temperature near -15.FRIDAY: Strong westerly winds. Light snow. Alpine temperature near -15.

Recent observations include naturally-occurring slab avalanches at around 1900 m and ongoing reports of touchy conditions, with whumpfing and cracking observed. As snow continues to fall, avalanche activity is expected to increase.A timber sledder triggered and was caught in a small avalanche on a road cut on Sunday. It occurred a little below treeline, south of the Crowsnest. Avalanche conditions seem especially touchy in this type of terrain right now.

A volatile weak layer from mid-December (predominantly feathery surface hoar crystals and/or a sun crust) is found at treeline and below. Slabs can fail very easily on this layer, either naturally or with the weight of a person or machine. Every extra snowflake adds stress to this layer.The snowpack is variable across the region, but persistent slabs are a generally widespread problem. Wind slab and storm slab distribution will be more variable. Hard wind slabs can be found in parts of the region due to recent extreme south-west winds. Windward alpine slopes may be scoured; and variable wind slabs are found at treeline and alpine elevations. New snow is likely to fail as storm slabs and/or loose avalanches. Deeper in the snowpack, an early season rain crust and sugary facets make up the picture. An avalanche in motion could step down to these deeper layers, creating a surprisingly large avalanche. Overall snowpack depths are variable across the region. It's generally shallower in the east.