Banff Yoho Kootenay

Winter is here in the alpine, and ice routes are starting to form. Ice climbers should be aware of avalanche terrain that may funnel into their climbs.

A mix of sun and cloud forecasted for Tuesday with freezing levels near valley bottom. Light flurries expected on Wednesday and Thursday. More significant snowfall is expected by Friday. Stay tuned

Field observations have been minimal, but generally there is 35-50 cm of snow at 2000 m. At high alpine elevations there is estimated to be 70-100 cm. Winds have generally been light from the south, but there is lots of snow available for transport at upper elevations. Fresh windslabs can be expected on lee terrain at higher alpine elevations.

A flight over Mt. Stanley area (north Kootenay Park) today showed evidence of a cycle up to Class 2.5 in high alpine glaciated terrain. Fractures were estimated to be 40-50 cm deep. A climbing party on Mt. Stanley reported triggering a small avalanche from a north aspect at 2700 m over the weekend. Click here for Facebook report

Due to the number and quality of field observations