Crowsnest North

A layer of warm air in the alpine may cause wet loose avalanches.

There is a thick crust on the surface that can make travel difficult.

High

• We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

On Wednesday, there were some small wet loose avalanches triggered by skiers in the south.

A thick crust is effectively capping the mid and lower snowpack at the moment. This crust is on aspects and elevations. It may not be present in the very high alpine.

Below the crust we have several layers:

• A spotty layer of surface hoar buried 40 cm deep that is unreactive.

• A crust in the midpack, at treeline and below.

• A crust with facets near the base of the snowpack.

Average depth at treeline is 120-200 cm.

Friday Night
Clear skies. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Saturday
Sunny. 40 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Above freezing layer (AFL) in the alpine.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 cm of snow. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Monday
Sunny. 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
• Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.
• This is a good time for exploring terrain.