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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2025–Apr 13th, 2025

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Sunday could prove to be a great day for skiing!

Human triggering of persistent weak layers is more likely in areas East of HWY93N and the Lake Louise backcountry compared to areas to the West.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed or reported Saturday.

On Friday, a remote wind slab avalanche on St. Nicholas size 2.5 was reported that stepped down to deeper layers and occurred out of steep unsupported terrain.

Snowpack Summary

10-40 cm of snow sits atop crusts on all aspects except north-facing alpine slopes. Windslab can be found on lee aspects. The integrity of the snowpack related to human triggering is based upon the strength and supportiveness of the surface crust. In areas with no surface crust, concern remains due to the weak basal facets, which have plagued the mid and base of the snowpack all winter. Likelihood of human triggering is higher in this region, particularly in Eastern areas

Weather Summary

Saturday night: Cloudy with clear periods and isolated flurries. Precip: Trace. Alpine temps: Low -10 °C. Ridge wind northwest: 15-35 km/h.

Sunday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Alpine temperature: High -6 °C. Ridge wind west: 20-30 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.

Monday: A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -6 °C, High 0 °C. Ridge wind west: 20-35 km/h. Freezing level: 2400 metres

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

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.