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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 11th, 2016–Mar 12th, 2016

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

With a bit more snow, warming temperatures and recent strong winds, Saturday is a day to be more cautious and let things improve. Ice climbers should continue to watch for the effects of daytime heating on steep lower elevation slopes.

Weather Forecast

Warmer temps on Saturday with light snow flurries, rain showers at lower elevations, freezing levels up to 1700m and gusty SW winds. Then a gradual cooling trend with occasional light snow for Sunday and Monday.

Snowpack Summary

New wind slabs in open areas above treeline. 20 to 35 cm of new snow sits on a well settled mid and lower pack. . This new snow overlies a temperature crust below 1800m on polar aspects and a sun crust into the alpine on solar aspects. No significant shears found in the mid and lower pack, however thin snowpack areas are still suspect.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous loose wet slides up to size 2 out of steep terrain below treeline in Little Yoho with limited activity at higher elevations. Numerous natural avalanches observed on the Icefields Parkway and 93 South up to size 3, all aspects during the last 24 hrs . Most of this was triggered by wind loading with failures on crusts and the deep facets.

Confidence

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

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 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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.