Avalanche Forecast

On Wednesday, west of Pincher Creek, several small (up to size 1.5) natural, solar-triggered wet loose avalanches were reported on steep terrain facing the sun.

Strong to extreme winds from yesterday have likely scoured windward slopes, and formed pockets of thin, hard wind slab on leeward slopes. On slopes facing the sun, these slabs are forming over a sun crust. In sheltered areas, you may find a few centimeters of soft snow covering surface hoar.

The lower snowpack has no concerning layers. Treeline snowpack depths range from 50 to 150 cm.

Thursday Night

Cloudy with 0 to 1 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 1 to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.

Saturday

Partly cloudy with isolated flurries up to 4 cm. Light variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 10 to 30 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
• The snowpack is generally stable; it may be appropriate to step out into more complex terrain.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.