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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 3rd, 2024–Apr 4th, 2024

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

Regions

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

Weather inputs such as new snow, temperatures, and wind are uncertain in the models and across the geographical range of the forecast area. If at the local level, the weather inputs are greater than expected, use an extra degree of caution in your decision-making process.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Lake Louise patrol reported ski-cutting very small avalanches in high alpine lee terrain. Sunshine patrol reported similar. A Parks Canada forecaster reported a large whumph at the Olive/St. Nic col in low-angle terrain. Otherwise, no avalanches were observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

Small amounts of storm snow (up to 10cm) overlies a variety of crusts up to ~2800m on solar aspects, and up to ~2300m on northerly aspects. In the high alpine, this will overlie settled and wind-affected snow

Our main concern for persistent layers is shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects where no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack is thinner/weaker. Triggering the Feb 3 facet/crust layer and basal depth hoar remains possible.

Weather Summary

Small amounts of snow are expected over the next few days but the models are a bit conflicted. Up to 20cm could be possible by day's end on Friday near Lake Louise. The wind will taper off to the light range and switch to an Easterly flow. Temperatures are expected to be slightly cooler than seasonal with the ridge about -10 and the valley just above zero in the warmest part of the day.

Click here for more weather info.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.

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.