Avalanche Forecast
Lizard Range and Flathead
Warming, snow and wind are all adding stress to touchy weak layers.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
- Stay off convex or unsupported slopes at and below treeline.
- Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds or shooting cracks.
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Wind slabs can be found at treeline and alpine elevations.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- If triggered, wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Summary
Explosives triggered several size 1.5-2.5 storm slabs on Saturday. Many large whumpfs and cracks continue to be reported, especially at and below treeline, indicating the persistent slab problem remains touchy. Persistent slab activity is likely to increase over the next couple of days.
On Thursday, a skier-triggered size 2 slab on a north-east aspect at 1975 m near Fernie caught and partially buried four people. Check out the details here.
Snowpack Summary
A touchy weak layer from mid-December (predominantly feathery surface hoar crystals and/or a sun crust) is found down about 40-70 cm. It is found at and below treeline, and seems particularly touchy between about 1600-1800 m. As temperatures warm, the slab above this weakness may become even easier to trigger remotely or with the weight of a person.
Wind slabs and cornices can be found at ridge top.
Deeper in the snowpack, an early season rain crust and sugary facets make up the picture. It is possible that a surface avalanche could step down to these layers, creating a surprisingly large event.
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Strong to gale south-west winds. Flurries. Alpine temperature near 0.
TUESDAY: Strong south-west winds. Around 5 cm snow. Alpine temperature near 0. A further 10-15 cm snow overnight.
WEDNESDAY: Light south-west winds. Light snow. Alpine temperature near -6.
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
- Lizard Range and Flathead URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/lizard-range.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.
Weak layers are buried within a prime depth range for human triggering. These are most prevalent at and below treeline. Warming, snow and wind are all adding stress to these layers.