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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 19th, 2021–Mar 20th, 2021

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

While new snow has started to accumulate over the solar crusts, the snowpack at low elevations has been weakened with a poor freeze and rain. Watch temperatures carefully as you plan  your weekend.

Weather Forecast

Convective activity Friday afternoon is expected to clear overnight allowing for a weak freeze to around 1500m Saturday morning. Building cloud will bring flurries Saturday and perhaps 5-10cm closer to the divide.  SW winds will start of in the moderate range in the alpine Saturday but can be expected to increase to the strong range.

Snowpack Summary

5-10 cm of new snow fell Friday with rain and no freeze below 1500m. The new snow now buries sun crust on steep solar aspects (East to West) into the Alpine, a temperature crust on all aspects below 1800m and  Surface hoar up to 10mm located in isolated, shaded areas.

Avalanche Summary

A few loose wet avalanches were observed today on Mt Dennis below the freezing level. Thursday, Lake Louise ski patrol ra few reported natural and skier controlled loose wet avalanches in steep, rocky and thin snowpack features located on  solar slopes below treeline with intense solar heating.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Saturday

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.