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Avalanche Bulletin
Waterton Lakes National Park
Issued:
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 16:16Valid Until:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 16:00Bulletin Area:
This bulletin covers Waterton Lakes National Park, including the Continental Divide area.Danger Rating: |
Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 2-Moderate | 2-Moderate | 2-Moderate | |
| Treeline | 1-Low | 1-Low | 1-Low | |
| Below Treeline | 1-Low | 1-Low | 1-Low |
Synopsis:
Flurries over the last 24 hours have given the area 5 to 10 centimetres of new snow. This snow is siting on a very strong melt freeze crust that covers all aspects. The cooler temperatures today, -4 for a high at Akamina pass, have turned this crust rock hard. There were very light winds with the new snow so slabs have not started to build yet. This means that there has been no significant change to the avalanche danger.Surface hoar layers 40 to 50 centimetres below the surface were still found on a sheltered location on Tuesday on Forum Ridge. Tests gave moderate to hard results on these layers. Although the melt freeze crust has helped seal the snowpack, these surface hoar layers should be of concern on north aspects and in sheltered locations.
Avalanche Activity:
No new avalanche activity has been observed.Outlook:
This return to winter is not forecast to last very long. Cooler temperatures are expected for Tuesday and Wednesday with daytime highs below the freezing mark but temperatures will start to warm up again on Thursday. Temperatures should be well above freezing again by the weekend. This will increase the avalanche danger, especially on the south facing aspects. The wind is also forecast to increase over the next few days and this means the potential for building slabs. With only 5 to 10 centimetres of snow these slabs will not be very thick but it will be something to lookout for in addition to the surface hoar layers on north and east aspects.Travel Conditions:
The best description is dust on crust for pretty much everywhere. The melt freeze crust under the new snow is very supportive and makes for some good turns as long as your edges are sharp. The warm temperatures over the weekend created large glide cracks on the south facing slopes of Forum Ridge. The hole is almost 50 centimetres across and is not something you would want to hit while riding down the slope. JSSPast 24 hour weather: |
Little Prairie (1650m) |
|---|---|
| Maximum (ºC) | 5 |
| Minimum (ºC) | -8 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 5 |
| Precipitation (mm) | |
| Snowpack (cm) | 103 |
| Wind speed | Light (1-25 km/h) |
| Ridgetop wind direction | N |
FOR MORE DETAILS:
Warden Office: (403) 859-5140
Emergency: (403) 859-2636
24 Hours Recorded Message: 1-800-667-1105
Related Link: http://www.avalanche.ca/
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