Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible - Likely
- Taille
- 1–2
Watch for wind slabs in cross-loaded features and further down the slopes than usual due to wind intensity.
Watch for rising freezing levels through the day on Wednesday and into Thursday to increase avalanche danger.
Watch for wind slabs in cross-loaded features and further down the slopes than usual due to wind intensity.
Persistent slabs sit over different weak layers depending on elevation & aspect. It is critical to investigate these layers before committing as there is a lot of variability dependent on aspect and elevation.
With rising freezing levels watch for wet loose avalanche on solar aspects below tree line or on steep rocky faces
On Tuesday one large wind slab avalanche was noted on Fluted Peak on a south facing feature. Monday's Maligne and Icefield patrols noted several small loose wet low elevation avalanches triggered by the late afternoon warm sun on Sunday.
Wednesday
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.
Precipitation: Trace.
Alpine temperature: High -3 C.
Ridge wind west: 20 km/h.
Freezing level: 1800 metres.
Thursday
Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries.
Accumulation: 5 cm.
Alpine temperature: Low -12 C, High -4 C.
Ridge wind west: 25 km/h gusting to 75 km/h.
Freezing level: 1600 metres.
Strong SW winds have stripped exposed alpine to rock. We expect wind slabs in crossloaded features and into tree line. A thin crust on solar aspects up to tree line below the 10cm of recent snow is likely. Several December facets layers can be found in the midpack. Facets and depth hoar are formed near the ground.