| Date/Time issued: Friday, February 03, 2006 at 4:00 PM |
| Valid until: Monday, February 06, 2006 |
Forecast of avalanche danger | | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | | Alpine | Considerable | High | High | Considerable | | Treeline | Moderate | Considerable | Considerable | Moderate | | Below Treeline | Low | Moderate | Low | Low |
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| Travel Advisory: Big
winds, intense snowfall, and warm temperatures from a strong,
fast-moving front will bump danger levels up over the weekend. Take
care at higher elevations in the alpine and in exposed treeline areas.
Cornices will be large and potentially unstable. Things might go south
below treeline too, for a day or so. I’m fairly certain danger levels
will drop reasonably quickly in sheltered areas at lower elevations,
especially if temperatures cool off a bit. Wind exposed areas and
higher elevations will take a little longer to settle down so watch for
signs of wind, such as drifts and slabs and pull back if you see them,
more so if temperatures stay warm. As previously discussed, it’s time
to start thinking ahead: those fortunate few who can take a day or two
off during the week will be tempted to quickly go from zero to sixty
after the weekend when the weather clears. Advice for going out while
still managing risk will follow in Monday’s forecast. |
| Avalanche Activity: Avalanches up to size 3 were reported throughout the region. |
| Snowpack: I
can’t say I know for certain what’s going on in the alpine—almost no
one’s been up there for most of the last month. Slabs and storm
instability in the alpine and exposed treeline areas are likely
settling and bonding with warm temperatures and reduced snowfalls. In
sheltered areas below treeline, things are settling in well after a
minor bout of upside-down storm snow. Discussion of deep persistent
instability has largely died out, but I’m sure it’s on most of our
minds that layers from November and December still exist. As we move
back into higher elevations the question will be whether they might
become active again and what, if anything, might wake them up. I
suggest also reading the Glacier National Park forecast. |
| Weather: A
major disturbance late Friday and early Saturday kicks up quite a fuss
with very high southerly winds, freezing levels to 1400m, and 20-40cm?
of snow. Unstable air behind the front will produce moderate to heavy
snowfalls (perhaps another 10-20+ is possible on favoured west slopes),
local gusty winds, and freezing levels of about 1000m. A ridge builds
Sunday and we enter a new era: expect high pressure to dominate well
into next week and perhaps longer, with the possibility of cool arctic
air by Thursday. |
| Issued by: kk |