Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park
More snow than forecasted!!
With new snow and moderate temps, the snowpack is reaching a tipping point. Expect buried surface hoar layers to become reactive.
A conservative terrain choice is appropriate for the day.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Be cautious on convex rolls at and below treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
The Dec 15 and Dec 27 surface hoar layers are widespread around tree line and buried ~80cm and ~50cm respectively. Warmer temps have promoted settlement of the upper snow pack, these layers may become reactive with the recent storm snow.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, or cracking.
- Carefully evaluate terrain features by digging and testing on adjacent, safe slopes.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous sz 1.5-2.5 avalanches observed in the past two days along the highway corridor from steep terrain.
Test results show that the Jan 4 and Dec 27 surface hoar layers are becoming reactive, producing moderate sudden planar fractures in some profiles.
Snowpack Summary
30cm of storm snow now buries the Jan 4 surface hoar and a thin crust on solar aspects. The Dec 27 surface hoar is down ~50cm and the Dec 15 surface hoar is down ~70cm and still producing whumphing, cracking and small avalanches on unsupported terrain features at tree line and below.
Weather Forecast
Expect cloudy skies with periods of moderate snow flurries with accumulations up to 5cm over the day. The alpine high will be -5 with freezing levels reaching 1400m. Winds will be from the southwest in the 20km/hr range. Depending on which forecast you drink your morning coffee with, we are expected to receive 15-30cm of snow by Tuesday morning.
Avalanche Forecasts in your Inbox
Avalanche Canada has switched to an RSS feed for its daily forecasts. This is a much more flexible method that allows automatic delivery to your email inbox, or to an RSS reader of your choice.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular standardized file format allowing up-to-date delivery of web-based content. RSS feeds enable you to receive content updates from websites, delivered to your email through an RSS aggregator (such as blogtrottr.com) or viewed through applications called RSS readers (such as feedly.com).
Set up an RSS feed for your email:
Select a RSS aggregator
- Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/glacier.rss - Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
- Fill in your email address.
- Voila! Watch the Avalanche Canada forecast roll into your inbox.
Forecast Disclaimer
Avalanche Canada's Public Avalanche Bulletin, and other information and services provided by Avalanche Canada, are intended for personal and recreational purposes only.
**THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DISCOMFORT, INJURY, OR DEATH, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS, OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION.**
The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and uses the data in this bulletin with this always foremost in mind. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the Providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.
30cm of snow over the past 48hrs is settling into a soft slab with warm winters temps (-1 to -5). The Jan 4 surface hoar is down ~35cm and found to be up to 15mm in size. If triggered, small avalanches could initiate deeper layers.