Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 6th, 2016 4:00PM

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

brian webster, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Mainly cloudy on Thursday with isolated flurries along the divide. Clearing and cooling trend for Friday as Arctic air pushes down from the north. Day time highs in the alpine in the mid-teens.Check our weather stations for current conditions.

Snowpack Summary

Surface facetting over-top of a well settled mid and lower pack. Sun crusts exist on steep S/SW aspects and large surface hoar is forming below 2000m. Isolated wind slabs exist in the alpine. Below 2000m, the Dec 3 layer of surface hoar and facets remains visible down 20-50 cm but is currently dormant. Thin areas are faceting out and weakening.

Avalanche Summary

No new slab avalanches reported in past few days, but a party triggered a size 1.5 sluff avalanche in a steep gully on Tuesday. This relatively small avalanche gained speed, hit a party below and they tumbled down the couloir. A good example of a small avalanche having a big impact due to the committing nature of the terrain.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose dry sluffs can be triggered out of steep terrain. The sluffs are running far and can easily gain enough mass to affect a skier or boarder.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

There are still occasional reports of small windslabs throughout the area. Not big enough to bury someone, but certainty a problem if it pushed you into a terrain trap (gully or over a cliff).

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 7th, 2016 4:00PM