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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 23rd, 2022–Mar 24th, 2022

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Expect snow surfaces to be variable as the freezing level drops and the previous moist surfaces form into crusts. Seek out sheltered, shaded aspects to find soft snow.

Weather Forecast

Thursday will be a mix of sun and cloud with alpine temperatures from -8 to -12. Winds will be strong out of the west in the morning and decrease though the day. Friday will be much the same but slightly warmer, alpine temperatures -5 to -8.

Snowpack Summary

Strong west winds on Wednesday caused extensive wind effect in the alpine and in open treeline features. Surface crust with moist snow underneath found on solar aspects in sheltered areas at treeline and all elevations below treeline. Several buried crusts exist on solar aspects and are found 30 to 80 cm deep.

Avalanche Summary

Explosives control on Wednesday produced avalanches up to size 3 on south and west aspects. Numerous wet loose avalanches up to size 2 on solar aspects with Wednesday's warm temps. A skier triggered size 2 wind slab on an east aspect was reported on Monday.

Confidence

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.