Avalanche Forecast

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy. Moderate southwest wind. Alpine temperature around -15 C.

Sunday: Flurries starting in the afternoon, around 5 cm. Moderate to strong southwest wind. Alpine high of -9 C.

Monday: 10-20 cm new snow. Strong southwest wind. High of -7 C.

Tuesday: 10-20 cm new snow. Light to moderate southwest wind. High of -8 C.

On Friday, wind slabs were reactive to explosives up to size 1.5. On Thursday, small (size 1) natural and artificially triggered wind slabs were reported in the alpine.

A few surprisingly deep older crowns were observed between Fernie and Sparwood on Friday. These suspected persistent slab avalanches likely ran on the early December crust around the same time as the explosive triggered size 3 persistent slab reported on December 27th.

Variably wind affected surfaces can be found at upper elevations, including soft to hard wind slabs on a variety of aspects.

The most notable layer of concern in the snowpack is a crust that was formed in early December and is now down 80-150 cm. Activity on this layer has been sporadic, most recently reported on December 27th. Since then, snowpack tests have produced no results but we remain wary. This layer has created a low likelihood, high consequence scenario which is best managed through conservative terrain choices and disciplined backcountry travel techniques.

• Fresh wind slabs will likely form throughout the day, diligently watch for changing conditions.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a persistent slab.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.