Avalanche Forecast
South Rockies
Isolated wind slabs may be found at upper elevations. Good quality riding can be found on sheltered, shady slopes.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity has been observed.
Submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
A variety of snow surfaces exist throughout the region. Stiff wind slabs sit on a wide range of aspects in the alpine and exposed treeline terrain. Windward slopes have been scoured down to the old rain crust or rock and sun crusts have formed on southerly slopes from the sun and recent warm temperatures. Sheltered treeline and below treeline slopes may have a light dusting of low-density snow that intermingle with surface hoar and surface facets. This is what I call a mixed bag!!
The two crusts that were buried near the end of November can now be found approximately 30 cm and 60 cm down. A third crust from the end of October exists as a "facet/crust" combo near the base of the snowpack approximately 50-100 cm down and recent snowpack tests done on this layer are showing hard results. These rain crusts will likely be with us all winter but may not pose a problem until we see a significant change in the weather.
Weather Forecast
Strong alpine temperature inversions continue.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with alpine temperatures near -1. Ridgetop winds light from the west.
Thursday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Alpine temperatures near -1 and light west winds.
Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near -2 and freezing levels 1100 m. Ridgetop winds mostly light accompanied by strong gusts from the west.
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Variable winds may have formed stiff wind slabs on a wide range of aspects at higher elevations.