Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 27th, 2013 4:00PM

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

snow safety, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

We are hinging on rating the alpine low or moderate... for today and tomorrow, due to wind affect last week we just need more field data to confirm the low rating.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Cloudy skies with a light flurries for tomorrow.Â A moisture stream will start to move into the region Thursday night and into Friday, bringing warmer temperatures.Â Snow amounts are uncertain and depend on the track of the system, so far the greatest amounts could be in the Wapta region where we could see 10-30 cm, stay tuned.

Snowpack Summary

West of the divide the mid-pack is generally well settled. The early January surface hoar exists down ~50 cm in some areas but is decomposing and unreactive to slope tests and compression tests. East of the divide the mid-pack is faceted. Throughout the region some fresh wind slabs up to 25 cm thick exist in the immediate lee of alpine features.

Avalanche Summary

Small 0.5 soft slabs were ski cut today in the immediate lee of features. Loose snow avalanches to size 1.5 out of steep terrain was observed yesterday.Â For the past several days there have been no significant avalanches observed or reported.

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

Recent SW winds have created fresh wind slabs, 10-30 cm thick. This layer was reactive to ski cuts today, but isolated to the immediate lee of the feature.

Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Feb 28th, 2013 4:00PM