Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 5th, 2012 4:00PM

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

snow safety, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Avalanche Control planned for Thursday for the Sunshine Ski Area access road paths. Please no climbing or skiing in this area. LP

Summary

Weather Forecast

Winds taper tonight and will be light westerly with very light precipitation, if any, for next couple of days. Mid mountain temperatures will be cooler (-12C for highs and overnight lows of -20C).

Snowpack Summary

Over the past 8 days we've received up to 66 cm (Sunshine region), less East of the divide. We've been hammered by very strong SSW winds leaving widespread soft and hard surface slabs in it's wake, particularly on the E. side of the divide. The Nov crust in the bottom third of the snowpack remains concern, especially after the recent load of snow.

Avalanche Summary

Surprisingly little slab activity reported or observed today. Some storm soft slabs to size 2 were reported along HWY 93 N. A size 2 came off Bourgeau Left ice climb yesterday evening and again today.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

Problems

Wind Slabs

The past 2 days, strong SW winds have hammered the region leaving widespread reactive hard and soft slabs in the alpine & treeline.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Persistent Slabs

Despite the new load from wind and snow, no new avalanches have been reported on this layer. Consider this layer and recent additional load in your terrain choices.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Dec 6th, 2012 4:00PM