Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 21st, 2023–Apr 24th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

Warm days ahead, new snow will heat up and slide easily on the crust below.

Forecast hazard is for peak warming!

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Natural avalanches to size 2 and ski cuts to size 1.5 were observed during a field day this week.

Last week numerous wet loose avalanches up to size 2.5 were observed from steep terrain and on all aspects. Large debris piles can still be seen.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and high treeline, 10-20 cm of snow sits over a melt freeze crust complex from last weeks warming events. The January melt freeze crust is buried up to 100cm. Alpine and Treeline midpack is well settled and overlies basal facets and depth hoar. Most places the snowpack is now moist to ground.

Weather Summary

Saturday-Monday

Temps will begin to rise over the next three days, with alpine highs reaching +8 by Sunday. Some clear periods are expected but skies will be mostly broken. Precip should taper off by Saturday afternoon and winds will increase to moderate SW by Monday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep slopes when air temperatures are warm, or solar radiation is strong.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.