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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 14th, 2025–Feb 15th, 2025

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

Finding areas where there is no significant wind effect and/or lingering wind slab will lead you to the safest and most enjoyable travel. As the cold continues to weaken the snowpack, skiers/riders in steeper terrain features report triggering sizable loose dry avalanches.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday & Friday, Sunshine Village reported up to size 1.5 windslab avalanches with explosives and ski cuts. They were 30-50 cm deep hard slabs failing on a weak facet layer with propagations up to 25 m.

Also on Friday, sizable loose dry avalanches were skier triggered in steep terrain near Lake Louise.

On Tuesday we investigated the Quartz skier accidental wind slab avalanche, triggered from a shallow spot in 48° terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Last week's storm snow has been redistributed into now aging wind slabs, which sit on top of the Jan 30 interface. Specific areas exposed to the wind may also have strastrugi. The mid-pack is generally weak with facets, while depth hoar over a crust forms on an even weaker base. The snowpack is the weakest in eastern areas where snow depths are low. In these areas, the basal weaknesses should be carefully considered. Here is a representative snow profile taken on Wednesday

Weather Summary

Friday night: Cloudy periods with scattered flurries without much accumulation. Alpine temperature: Low -17 °C with Light westerly ridge wind.

Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud, scattered flurries without much accumulation. Alpine temperature: High -14 °C. Light ridge NW wind becoming SW.

Sunday: Cloudy with scattered flurries. Alpine temperature: Low -17°C, High -13 °C. Ridge wind light South.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present in the snowpack.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.

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.