Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park
A natural avalanche cycle continues this morning with moderate to strong Southerly winds moving storm snow and overloading weak layers. Many avalanches are running to valley bottom.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
- The new snow will require several days to settle and stabilize.
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 &Dec 15th surface hoar layers buried deep. These layers have woke up again resulting in large avalanches in the last 24hrs.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the storm 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 Summary
We are experiencing a widespread natural avalanche cycle with slides to size 3.5. Avalanches have been running to full path to the bottom of runnout. Initially the cycle began with light winds, warmer temps and heavy precipitation. Now the S'ly winds have picked up continuing the overloading of the weak layers in the snowpack.
Snowpack Summary
60cm of storm snow in the last 4 days, 35cm in the last 24hrs at 1900m, accompanied by moderate to strong S'ly winds. Expect to find wind slab along ridge lines and lee features due to the moderate south winds in the Alpine. The Jan 16 surface hoar is down ~70cm, Jan 4 down ~90cm and Dec 15 down ~1m+ making for a complex sandwich of weak layers.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with sunny periods, light precipitation, moderate SW winds and alpine high of -9C. A lull in the weather Wednesday then Thursday another storm front is forecast to hit bringing heavy precipitation into the weekend.
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Heavy snowfall created a reactive storm slab. Wind loading continues to overload this weakness. If triggered, the slab could step down to deeper weak layers. Avalanches are running full path.