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

Feb 7th, 2024–Feb 8th, 2024

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

Regions

Purcells, Dogtooth, East Purcell, Bull.

The cooler weather has helped to stabilize the snowpack, however we continue to be wary of deeply buried weak layers.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new natural avalanche activity. Explosives control work in the north of the region produced a size 1.5 soft slab 10 cm deep in steep alpine/treeline terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Roughly 10 cm of accumulated new snow over a crust that tapers in thickness at higher elevations.

Below the fresh snow and mentioned crust, there is around 50 cm of moist snow that is drying out and strengthening with cool temperatures. Multiple crust and facet layers exist beneath and the base contains weak faceted grains and depth hoar, which will continue to be monitored for reactivity.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries with 2 to 4 cm accumulation. Alpine wind southwest 5 to 10 km/h. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries with 2 to 3 cm accumulation. Alpine wind west 5 to 10 km/h. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, isolated flurries with trace accumulation. Alpine wind north 10 to 15 km/h. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy with sunny breaks. Alpine wind northwest 10 to 15 km/h. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.