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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 6th, 2024–Dec 7th, 2024

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

South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

New snow may not bond well to the old.

If you see more than 10 cm of snow, treat the danger as one level higher and reduce your exposure to avalanche terrain.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since Wednesday.

Snowpack Summary

Treeline snow depths are typically 50 to 80 cm, with deeper wind-loaded pockets in the alpine. Heavily wind-affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain. A new sun crust is reported to be forming on steep, sun-exposed slopes.

There is a melt-freeze crust near the base of the snowpack, but it generally appears to be stable and is not currently expected to be a problem for the region.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Partly cloudy. 40 to 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature near 0 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature dropping to -8 °C.

Monday

Mostly sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.

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.