Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 21st, 2022–Mar 22nd, 2022

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Little Yoho.

WARMING is expected Tuesday through Wednesday. Expect existing slabs to become more sensitive to triggering.

Avalanche control is planned Tuesday on the Sunshine Ski Area Access Road:

Both the Eagle and Bourgeau Closure Zones are in effect Tuesday.

Weather Forecast

A Pacific system will pass the region well to the north Tuesday, Wednesday. Tuesday the system will produce moderate W to NW winds that will increase to strong as freezing levels approach 2500m under thin cloud. A weak freeze may occur Tues night. Winds shift SW Wed and temps rise further ahead of a cold front Wed arriving Wed evening.

Snowpack Summary

Last week west winds brought 20-50 cm of snow and formed wind slabs in alpine and isolated treeline terrain. These slabs were buried Saturday by 5-15cm that again arrived with gusty W winds that formed small soft wind slabs. On Solar aspects several buried crusts are found 30 to 80 cm deep, Temperature crust up to 1800m is buried 50-60 cm deep

Avalanche Summary

No new activity reported Monday. Explosive control in Kootenay Park on Thursday produced unexpectedly large avalanches at low elevations. On Sunday, Bourgeau-Left waterfall (next to Sunshine gondola) released a large natural avalanche that ran over the waterfall and hit Healy Creek. This may have been triggered by a cornice or strong solar effect.

Confidence

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

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.

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.

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.