Regional Summaries

The ACMG is piloting conditions summaries for ice climbers in the Rockies to try and convey more specific avalanche information.

We're now well into November. Ski resorts have fired up the lifts, climbers are scratching up frozen icicles and splitboarders and ski tourers are staring each other down at Bow Summit and Highwood Pass.

At the risk of crying "wolf" a few too many times: it's winter time and avalanche season is upon us.

WEATHER
It was another wintery week in the Rockies and Columbia mountains, with overnight lows into the negative teens and daytime highs generally below freezing until today when it warmed into the low single digits above treeline.

It is early winter in the Rockies and Columbias. The days are short, there is some (but not a lot) of snow, ice climbing is scratchy and only the true believers feel rock climbing may still be possible.

WEATHER
It was cold for the last week of October (-19 in Banff last Monday). Coming up expect some snow to start on Sunday before it becomes more of a mix of sun and cloud for most areas getting towards mid-week.

This past week saw a return to more seasonal temperatures, albeit a bit on the cool side still with small but steady accumulations of snowfall in the high alpine. Treeline temps have been hovering around freezing give or take a few degrees but the alpine has remained cold and wintery.