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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 11th, 2014–Dec 12th, 2014

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Little Yoho.

Weather Forecast

Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and freezing levels around 1700 m for Thursday night. Friday is mainly cloudy with a gradual cooling trend throughout the day. By Saturday freezing levels will be at valley bottom. Winds will switch from strong SW on Thursday night to light from the north on Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Strong southwest winds have stripped windward aspects and created fresh wind slabs in lee terrain at treeline and above locations. Mild temperatures have promoted settlement in upper pack, but lower basal layers remain weak and facetted.

Avalanche Summary

Evidence of a small cycle in Yoho Park at and below treeline due to Wednesdays warm temperatures and rain. A fresh slab in past 24 hours was observed on the east side of Mt. Victoria. (2900 m, size 2.5, 200m wide, approx 50 cm deep).

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.