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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 29th, 2021–Jan 30th, 2021

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Sluffing in steep terrain remains the major concern, especially in southern areas that got the most storm snow. Manage your sluffs carefully in steep terrain. Watch for an increase in hazard if the wind starts moving the storm snow around up high.

Weather Forecast

Not much change Friday night and Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon the alpine wind starts to increase into the 40-60 km/hr range which will start moving the recent snow around. Treeline temperatures will start around -10'C and warm slightly in the afternoon with the arrival of the wind to the -4 to -7'C range.

Snowpack Summary

10-40 cm of storm snow with the most in the southern areas. The storm snow sits over facets in sheltered areas and over previous wind effect in exposed alpine and tree line areas. The mid-pack is well settled with the various persistent weak layers visible in the snowpack but unreactive to stability tests. The Nov crust/facets are near the ground.

Avalanche Summary

Some small natural loose dry avalanches observed in very steep alpine terrain with a couple small thin slabs in wind prone areas. Surface sluffing in steep ski terrain running far and fast in the Kootenay area. 

Confidence

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

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.