Avalanche forecast

Waterton Lakes

Jan 9 – 12, 2016Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The new snow is unlikely to bond well to previous surfaces, watch for touchy windslab development as the winds increase into the weekend.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–3
    This layer has become difficult to trigger but has the potential to propagate widely.

Weather Forecast

A ridge of high pressure building over our area will give mainly stable conditions through the weekend. Traces of new snow are forecast for Saturday night. Temperatures are remaining seasonably cool (as low as -18 overnight and daytime highs around -5). Winds are forecast to be moderate to strong from the West on both Saturday and Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 5cm of new snow is not likely to bond well to previous surfaces; a thin weak suncrust on solar aspects, old unreactive windslab in exposed areas, surface hoar up to 5mm in size in sheltered locations and surfaces facets in shaded areas below treeline. A surface hoar layer down 40-60cm is most prevalent at treeline and continues to strengthen.

Avalanche Summary

There has been no recent avalanche activity observed or reported.

Confidence

Regions covered