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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 17th, 2025–Feb 18th, 2025

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

Regions

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

For the best and safest riding, seek out areas of soft snow, untouched by the wind.

Manage your sluff in steep terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday, there were a few small dry loose avalanches.

On Saturday, there was a small (size 1.5) natural storm slab near Castle and a few small dry loose avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

Around 25 cm of new snow has fallen over the weekend, accompanied by light to moderate wind. Wind is expected to be strongest through passes and gaps in the mountains on Tuesday.

The new snow overlies 20 to 40 cm of mostly faceted snow sitting on a weak layer from late January. The weak layer consists of a crust on sun-exposed slopes, and a layer of surface hoar or facets on all other aspects.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Partly cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny. 10 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.

Wednesday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Thursday

A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
  • Use appropriate sluff management techniques.

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.