Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Glacier National Park
Be wary of what's above you and cognisant of other groups below. Cornices have been failing and skiers have remotely triggered large avalanches in popular areas.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
These slabs will be most susceptible to triggering in shallow areas. This type of instability will linger for a while yet. The significant storms we've seen recently have overloaded these layers, priming slopes to fail only awaiting a trigger.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid thin, rocky or unsupported slopes.
Avalanche Problem 3: Cornices
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Cornices have become reactive in the last week. Strong winds, fluctuating temperatures and significant snowfall has contributed to these loitering hazards failing.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger the deep persistent slab.
Avalanche Summary
6 avalanches in the HWY corridor occurred yesterday to size 3. Character ranged from loose dry to cornice failures and persistent slabs. The most notable was a skier remote size 3. Skiers were ascending MacDonald West Shoulder #4, adjacent to NRC Gully, when they remotely triggered a size 3.0. It was 50-120cm deep, 200m wide and ran for 1.6km.
Snowpack Summary
80cm of storm snow fell in the last week with above average temperatures and strong winds. Wind slabs are lurking in the alpine and in exposed areas at treeline. Persistent weak layers are now buried 150-200cm in the snowpack. Snow depth of 325cm at treeline. Surface sun crust can be expected on steeper solar aspects.
Weather Forecast
Unsettled weather approaches Rogers Pass today, bringing with it flurries, cool temps and strong winds. We can expect only 5cm by 4pm, -10 in the Alpine and SW winds. Most our forecasted snow will fall overnight, strong winds will continue and freezing levels will stay at valley bottom.
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Significant snowfall and recent strong winds have formed winds slab in the alpine and exposed treeline.