Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 1st, 2012 4:10PM

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

snow safety, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Strong SSW winds Monday night, through Tuesday coupled with rising freezing levels to 2000 m on Tuesday will bump the hazard up for Tuesday. Very little snow is exected. Freezing levels will dramatically drop Tues. night. LP

Summary

Weather Forecast

Snowpack Summary

Avalanche Summary

Confidence

Problems

Wind Slabs

Mostly active in the Lake Louise region. Up to 50 new with SW & E wind. We've seen a few rogue windslab avalanches, generally size 2. up to sz 3 in steep cliffy terrain (NW asp) on Mt. Redoubt. This interface should heal quickly.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Storm Slabs

A Mar 28 suncrust is now down approx. 50 cm. We've found easy to hard shears on this layer, pending on location. In Chickedee valley, surface hoar was also observed on the crust. A few sz 2.'s have been observed on alpine SW asp in last 2 days.

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

Feb 14th - now down 60-150 cm. Storm snow woke up this layer in a few areas, see the sz 3 off Pope's pk ski line on our facebook pg or the MCR. Also a skier remote sz 2, from 200 m away, in Pipestone Bowl near LL. It ran from steep rocky terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Apr 2nd, 2012 4:00PM