Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 18th, 2020–Nov 19th, 2020

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

Be alert in areas that harbor wind slabs. More snow and wind input is expected over the next two days.

Weather Forecast

Incoming snow will start on Thurs and deliver approximately 20cm to the forecast region by midday on Friday. The temperature will drop bringing sub zero values to the valley level again. The wind will increase and stay elevated throughout Thurs and Fri in the strong range from the SW.

Snowpack Summary

40-60 cm of settled snow overlies the Nov 5th crust with the higher amounts around Sunshine. Windslabs exist in alpine and at treeline. The crust is 1-10 cm thick and generally thickest around Sunshine. It extends up to 2400m on polar aspects and slightly higher around Sunshine and on solar aspects. Total snow depths at treeline are 50-100 cm.

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche control on 93S today produced a few slides up to size 2. Evidence of a previous natural cycle (last 36 hours) was evident up to size 2. Sunshine and Lake Louise ski patrol were able to trigger small windslabs with explosives today and most notably a Sunshine ski patroller ski cut a size 2 wind slab.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations on Wednesday

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.