Avalanche Forecast
South Rockies
Recent storm snow and wind are adding to a snowpack with several buried weak layers. Best to stick to conservative terrain choices, avoid wind-loaded areas, and back off if you see classic warming signs like whumpfing or cracking.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and treeline. Wind and storm snow are forming touchy slabs.
- If triggered, wind slabs may step down to deeper layers and result in large avalanches.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Several weak layers of concern are buried within the snowpack and have the potential to produce large avalanches. Conservative terrain with moderate-angled, supported slopes are good choices.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be aware of thin snowpack areas where deeper weak layers may be more sensitive to triggering.
- Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, or shooting cracks.
Avalanche Summary
There have been no new reports of avalanches in the region since Saturday when explosive control in the Castle area produced several Size 2-2.5 storm slabs around 40 cm deep. Ski cutting in the same area produced numerous smaller (Size 1) releases also confined to the recent storm snow.
The lack of activity can most likely be attributed to a lack of observations rather than snowpack conditions. The snowpack in the region remains suspect with several buried weak layers displaying classic signs of instability such as whumpfing and cracking.
A recent video posted to the Avalanche Canada South Rockies field team Facebook page paints a pretty clear picture https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1894352117306941/.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 30 cm of recent storm snow now covers both a new layer of feathery surface hoar in sheltered areas as well as sun crust on solar aspects buried mid-January, and about 30-50 cm below the surfaces lies the early-January surface hoar layer.
About 60-80 cm below the surface a weak layer of feathery surface hoar crystals and/or sun crust buried mid-December is found at treeline and below treeline elevations. Near the base of the snowpack the weak early-season layer of rain crust and sugary facets buried late-November exists. Although the snowpack structure is variable across the region, these persistent weak layers are generally widespread. Snowpack depths are also variable across the region and typically thinner in northern areas than in areas to the south.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Light flurries. Accumulation 1-4 cm. Ridge wind strong, southwest. Temperature -4. Freezing level lowering to valley bottom.
THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind strong, southwest. Temperature -2. Freezing level rising to 1000 m.
FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light flurries. Accumulation 1-5 cm. Ridge wind strong, southwest. Temperature -4. Freezing level valley bottom.
SATURDAY: Cloudy, flurries. Accumulation 5-10 cm. Ridge wind light to moderate, southeast. Temperature -8. Freezing level valley bottom.
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Winds will continue to build wind slabs in lee areas at treeline and above.