Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park
The snowpack is complex, with multiple weak layers stacking up. Conservative terrain choices are essential as a large winter storm approaches and natural avalanche occurrences will increase.
Human triggering of avalanches remains likely.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Persistent weak layers present a lower likelihood / high consequence scenario with the Jan 16th, 4th and Dec 15th surface hoar layers. These layers could be sensitive to human triggering in thin areas, or overloads from wind slab avalanches.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use caution on open slopes and convex rolls at treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.
Avalanche Summary
Snowboarder triggered size 2 yesterday, see Avalanche Canada Mountain Information Network (MIN) for more details.
Test results showing the Jan 16 surface hoar (5-10mm) down ~60cm, fails suddenly and has a high propagation potential, which could result in large avalanches.
No new natural avalanches observed along the highway corridor yesterday.
Snowpack Summary
10cm in past 24hrs, 60cm of settling storm snow with 160cm of snow accumulation over the past two weeks. Expect to find pockets of wind slab along ridge lines and lee features due to the moderate south winds in the Alpine. The Jan 16 surface hoar is down ~60cm, Jan 4 down ~80cm and Dec 15 down ~1m+ making for a complex sandwich of weak layers.
Weather Forecast
Cloud with snow starting late this morning, up to 8cm of accumulation today and 10cm tonight. Alpine high of -6, winds from the south 20km/hr. Freezing levels expected to rise up to 1600m Monday as the atmospheric river pushes inland with 60cm 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.
Moderate southerly winds have redistributed storm snow into pockets of wind slab. The slab will be most sensitive in lee areas at ridge line and exposed areas at tree line. If triggered, the slab could step down to deeper weak layers.