Avalanche Forecast
South Rockies
New snow is adding stress to touchy weak layers in the snowpack.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
- Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds or shooting cracks.
- Use conservative route selection. Choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
New snow may overload an already touchy weak layer. Persistent slabs are especially likely at and below treeline. The trees may not be the safe haven you expect: adopt a cautious attitude to all avalanche terrain.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
- Avoid avalanche terrain around treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Recent observations include naturally-occurring slab avalanches at around 1900 m and ongoing reports of touchy conditions, with whumpfing and cracking observed. As snow continues to fall, avalanche activity is expected to increase.
A timber sledder triggered and was caught in a small avalanche on a road cut on Sunday. It occurred a little below treeline, south of the Crowsnest. Avalanche conditions seem especially touchy in this type of terrain right now.
Snowpack Summary
A volatile weak layer from mid-December (predominantly feathery surface hoar crystals and/or a sun crust) is found at treeline and below. Slabs can fail very easily on this layer, either naturally or with the weight of a person or machine. Every extra snowflake adds stress to this layer.
The snowpack is variable across the region, but persistent slabs are a generally widespread problem. Wind slab and storm slab distribution will be more variable. Hard wind slabs can be found in parts of the region due to recent extreme south-west winds. Windward alpine slopes may be scoured; and variable wind slabs are found at treeline and alpine elevations. New snow is likely to fail as storm slabs and/or loose avalanches.
Deeper in the snowpack, an early season rain crust and sugary facets make up the picture. An avalanche in motion could step down to these deeper layers, creating a surprisingly large avalanche. Overall snowpack depths are variable across the region. It's generally shallower in the east.
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY: Moderate westerly winds. 5-15 cm snow. Alpine temperature near -12.
THURSDAY: Moderate to strong westerly winds. Light snow. Alpine temperature near -15.
FRIDAY: Strong westerly winds. Light snow. Alpine temperature near -15.
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
- South Rockies URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/south-rockies.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.
New snow is likely to fail as loose snow or slab avalanches, especially in steep alpine or treeline terrain.