Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 1–1.5
Moderate to strong winds from the west and northwest have formed new wind slabs in leeward features in the alpine.
A few centimeters of new snow and northly winds have reverse loaded onto southerly slopes that don't usually have wind slab issues. This combined with the February crust on solar aspects should give you pause as you head into tree line and the alpine to stop, dig and investigate before you commit to a climb or ski run.
Moderate to strong winds from the west and northwest have formed new wind slabs in leeward features in the alpine.
This weak layer, buried 20-40cm deep, is still reactive in snowpit tests and human triggering remains possible, particularly in shallow rocky start zones.
The base of the snowpack is inherently weak and untrustworthy. Human and natural triggering of these basal facets remains possible.
An avalanche around Boundary Peak was observed on Tuesday likely sliding on the Feb 3 crust loaded from northerly winds. Two recent, and large, Deep Persistent Slab avalanches were observed along the Icefields Parkway on Sunday.
Northwest winds have redistributed the recent snow in open areas at tree line and above.
In sheltered areas 15 - 25cm of low density snow overlies the Feb 3rd crust, which ranges from 1-3cm thick on shaded aspects up to 2500m and to 2800m+ on solar aspects. It is 15-20cm thick at lower elevations. The Persistent and Deep Persistent weak layers continue to produce whoomphing and sudden fractures in tests.
Thursday
Sunny with cloudy periods.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: High -13 °C.
Ridge wind northeast: 10-20 km/h.
Friday
Sunny with cloudy periods.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: Low -13 °C, High -4 °C.
Light ridge wind.
Freezing level: 1500 metres.
The Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast