Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 4th, 2018 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.

stephen holeczi, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

The cooler temps are maintaining the fantastic ski quality. Use caution on solar aspects where the recent snow is reactive to skier triggering on buried crusts.

Summary

Weather Forecast

1-2cm on Thursday with light winds which will shift to the East early in the day. Temperatures will remain unseasonably cool until the weekend.

Snowpack Summary

Last weeks storm brought 15-40cm with moderate S and W winds creating wind slabs in the alpine. The March 15 suncrust is down 25-50cm on south-east through west aspects and has been sensitive to skier triggering over the last few days. The mid- pack basal layers have been dormant for the past while.

Avalanche Summary

There was a skier remote size 2 just outside Lake Louise ski area boundary on an East to SE aspect yesterday. This avalanche failed on a buried suncrust down 20-40 cm and occurred in the afternoon. No other avalanche activity observed today.

Confidence

Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Saturday

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Dig down to test the bond between the recent storm snow and the Mar 15 crust. Forecasters suspect faceting on the Mar 15 crust due to recent cold temps. Seems most sensitive with daytime heating allowing the surface snow to propagate as a soft slab.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

Expect to encounter smaller windslabs on all aspects in the alpine due to previous shifty winds. They range from 20-40cm thick and have been decreasing in sensitivity over the last 24 hours.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Apr 5th, 2018 4:00PM