Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park
Snow is in the forecast!
With new snow and moderate temps, the snowpack is entering a time of change. Expect buried layers to become more reactive in the coming days.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Carefully evaluate terrain features by digging and testing on adjacent, safe slopes.
- Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, or cracking.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous sz 1.5-2.5 observed yesterday along the highway corridor from steep terrain.
Test results from the past few days show that the Dec 27th surface hoar layer is becoming reactive, producing moderate sudden planar fractures in some profiles.
Snowpack Summary
10cm of new snow in the past 48hrs with moderate alpine winds has buried a thin crust on solar aspects. Dec 27th surface hoar is buried 30-40cm and starting to produce results in tests. The Dec 15th surface hoar is still the main layer of concern, buried 60cm deep which is producing whumphing, cracking and small avalanches at and below tree line.
Weather Forecast
Expect cloudy skies with periods of light snow flurries. The alpine high will be -6 with freezing levels reaching 1300m. Winds will be from the south in the 20km/hr range. Several waves of precipitation are expected for the next week delivering a consistent 5-10cm of snow daily.
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The Dec 15 and Dec 27 surface hoar layers are widespread around tree line and buried ~60cm and ~30cm respectively. Warmer temps have promoted settlement of the upper snow pack, these layers may become reactive with additional load.