Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Waterton Lakes.
Use extra caution in wind effected lees, sheltered areas will also provide the better skiing.
Weather Forecast
Friday: Winds increasing through the day and into the night with partially cloudy skies. Temp rising to -5 in the alpine.
Saturday: Temps continue to rise to 0 in the alpine. Clear skies and winds decreasing from extreme to strong.
Sunday: Alpine temps dip just below 0 with flurries through the day. Moderate to strong SW winds.
Snowpack Summary
M-S SW winds are forming windslabs up to 70cm deep, this overlies old windslabs and a March 3 rain crust. An additional 50 cm of settling snow over the Feb 15 crust that exists up to 2000m. Lower snowpack is well settled 1F to P. HS 250-300 cm near the continental divide.
Avalanche Summary
A natural windslab cycle has occurred in the last 24h with results up to size 3. A size 2.5 windslab avalanche was observed at the south end of Forum ridge. It is suspected that this new avalanche failed on a re-loaded bed surface from the large size 3 last week. As always keep those Mountain Information Network observations coming.
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Strong to extreme winds over the weekend will add to windslabs.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 3