Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Waterton Lakes.
Sunday: Variable snow surfaces creating challenging ski conditions. Expect a mixed bag.
Monday and Tuesday: Hazard will increase significantly throughout the day with 20 cm snow and extreme winds. Select terrain with conservative options.
Weather Forecast
Sun: Cloudy with flurries, accumulation 6 cm. Strong SW winds. Alpine high -5. Freezing levels valley bottom.
Mon: Cloudy with periods of snow, accumulation 16 cm. Moderate gusting to extreme W winds. Alpine high -5. FL VB.
Tues: Cloudy with flurries, accumulation 6 cm. Moderate NE winds. Alpine high -12, low -27. FL VB.
Snowpack Summary
Variable snow surfaces are found at all elevations. Jan 18 crust extends all aspects to 2000m. ALP consists of hard windslab in lees and stripped to ground in scoured areas. Well settled midpack over facets above Dec 4 crust, that is beginning to break down, buried 150-200 cm. A 20-60 cm thick Nov melt freeze crust complex completes the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
Few size 1-2 windslab avalanches were seen in alpine and treeline this week. No new avalanches were observed on Saturday. Please post any avalanche observations on the Mountain Information Network, we really appreciate any observations.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Strong to extreme SW winds have created windslabs in lees that will linger through Sunday.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
- Use caution on steep lee and cross-loaded slopes
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Storm Slabs
20 cm of snow and extreme winds are forecasted to start sunday night accumulating through monday. This will create storm slabs atop the Jan 18 crust that could be quite reactive to human triggering.
- Avoid terrain traps, such as gullies, where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
- Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5