Avalanche forecast

Banff Yoho Kootenay

Dec 6 – 7, 2013Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 13 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Cold temperatures are the major factor effecting the snowpack today. The snowpack can be characterized as relatively shallow early season conditions with  a deep persistent basal  weakness. JBW

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Recent storm snow was moved around by northerly winds and isolated wind slabs can be found on all aspects at and above treeline. Use caution  in steeper wind effected areas.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    The basal weakness of depth hoar or crust is the major weakness in the snowpack and any avalanche will likely fail on, or step down to this layer. Triggering on steep open slopes is still possible.

Weather Forecast

Keep your woolies. It will not really warm up until the weekend.

Snowpack Summary

Very cold temperatures mean not much active is happening in the snowpack. The surface and basal layers will continue to facet.

Avalanche Summary

No new activity. A full depth size 2 release on a steep planar NW feature at 2400m on Copper Mtn was observed yesterday. Likely northerly winds and cross loading across this slope with the coming of the arctic front were the trigger.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Regions covered