Avalanche Forecast
Lizard Range and Flathead
The snowpack still needs more time to heal. Patience and conservative terrain choices are critical.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be wary of slopes that did not previously avalanche - even on low angle terrain.
- Avoid lingering or regrouping in runout zones.
- Minimize exposure during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Winds have blown loose snow into slabs around ridge crests and exposed terrain features. A small wind slab release may provide enough stress to trigger a deeper persistent weak layer.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Be increasingly cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Avalanche Summary
Very significant avalanche activity occurred in the region last week. Large avalanches ran on multiple persistent weak layers, even in fairly dense trees and low angle slopes. Activity has gradually tapered off, but the potential for human triggering remains. On Tuesday, explosive control in the Lizard range produced a few large persistent slab avalanches on deep weak layers (size 2-2.5). Recent natural activity was also reported in the Sparwood area.
Snowpack Summary
Warm temperatures have settled the snow and left moist snow and thin crusts on solar aspects. Recent winds transported snow last week, leaving old wind slabs in open terrain and cornices along ridges. A number of buried weak layers have been very concerning over the past week, and appears to be gaining strength very slowly. The early January surface hoar layer is around 60 cm below the surface and the unstable weak layer from mid-December (predominantly surface hoar and/or a sun crust) is around 100 cm below the surface at treeline and below treeline elevations. A rain crust with sugary facets that developed late-November is near the bottom of the snowpack. All of these layers have been reactive over the past week.
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with light flurries starting in evening, winds increasing to strong from the southwest, freezing level rising from valley bottom to roughly 1700 m.
THURSDAY: 10-20 cm of new snow, strong southwest winds, cooling throughout the day with freezing level around 1500 m.
FRIDAY: Light flurries, strong southwest winds, alpine temperatures around -5 C.
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.
Large avalanches may be triggered on a number of buried weak layers, even in fairly dense trees and shallow slope angles.