Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Jan 13 – 14, 2023Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 4 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low

Highlights

Continually assess the snowpack for signs of instability with changing weather conditions. Expect hazard to increase with increasing winds and rising freezing levels.

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–3.5

    Triggering of deep weak layers remains possible in terrain with shallow, variable snowpacks. Where supportive to riders, a melt-freeze crust may be providing a bridging effect, making it more difficult to trigger deeper layers.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanche activity has been reported in the region.

Please continue to share any observations or photos on the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

The upper snowpack continues to settle and stabilize. A widespread melt-freeze crust is buried by roughly 50 to 90 cm. The crust ranges in thickness from 1 cm at higher elevations to 20 cm thick at lower elevations. The mid-snowpack is generally well consolidated below the crust. A weak layer of large facets and a crust persists down 70 to 150 cm from the surface. The snow below the crust is generally weak and unconsolidated.

Treeline snow depths are roughly 150 to 200 cm.

Weather Summary

Thursday night

Cloudy with flurries, 0 to 2 cm. Moderate southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around 0 C.

Friday

Cloudy with trace snow. Moderate southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around 0 C. Freezing levels 2100 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with snow, 5 to 10 cm. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures around 0 C. Freezing levels 1800 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with flurries, 0 to 2 cm. Light south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperatures 0 to -5 C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • The more the snowpack warms-up and weakens, the more conservative you`ll want to be with your terrain selection.

Regions covered