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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 17th, 2024–Feb 18th, 2024

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

While a thicker snowpack is present in the Little Yoho area, it is still thinner than most years. Caution should be exercised in steep wind-loaded terrain and thin snowpack areas at high elevations where the snowpack is weaker.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Some natural loose wet avalanches on steep solar aspects occurred Saturday with daytime heating.

Skiers triggered a size 2.5 slab on a S aspect at 3050 m on Mt Vaux on Thursday while boot-packing.

A size 2 and 2.5 skier-triggered deep persistent slab at 2750 m on a SE aspect in the Cirque Forepeak area occurred Tuesday.

The deeper layers can still be triggered in thin snowpack areas at high elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Suncrust on steep solar aspects. Isolated wind slabs in the alpine. 10-25 cm of facetted snow over the Feb 3 crust. The crust is found in most locations except above 2500 m on N aspects, and varies in thickness from 0.5-15 cm with a thicker crust in deeper snowpack areas and at lower elevations. Persistent weak facet layers remain present in the mid and bottom of the snowpack and have recently produced avalanches on the ground in rocky thin snowpack areas at higher elevations.

Weather Summary

A ridge of high pressure starts to break down on Sunday as clouds move into the region during the day. Ridgetop winds will stay in the light to moderate range out of the west. No significant new snow is expected though isolated flurries may occur. Treeline temperatures will range from -10°C to -4°C.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Avoid rock outcroppings, convexities, and anywhere the snowpack is thin and/or variable.

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.