Avalanche Forecast
Purcells
Expect wind slabs on a range of aspects as the wind shifts direction this week.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Travel on ridgetops to avoid wind slabs on slopes below.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche reports over the weekend were limited to size 1 wind slabs triggered by explosives near ridge crests. There are no recent reports of natural or human triggered avalanches, but observations are limited. Please continue to submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
Snow from last week's storms is settling and getting redistributed by westerly winds. Roughly 20-40 cm of recent snow sits above various crusts from the warm weather in late November. Two deeper layers may be found in the snowpack, including the November 10 surface hoar and the Halloween crust (80 to 100 cm deep). The late November crust is the most likely of these layers to develop into a problem in the near future. Snow depths decrease rapidly below treeline, where the primary hazards are rocks, stumps, and open creeks.
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, moderate northwest wind, alpine temperatures around -12 C.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny, light wind, alpine temperatures warming to -7 C.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny, light wind, inversion forming with alpine temperatures possibly reaching above 0 C.
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Wind slabs are most likely on the downwind side of ridges and gullies. Changes in wind direction may form fresh wind slabs this week.