Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 13th, 2022–Jan 14th, 2022

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

There have been many different weather inputs over the past few days, and it will take a bit of time for things to settle down. The Mt. Stephen and Mt. Dennis avalanche closure areas will be CLOSED on Friday.

Weather Forecast

A bit of an inversion is setting up for Friday. Temperatures will stay below freezing (-5C to -2C) in the alpine with a mix of sun and cloud, and light to moderate NW winds. Friday night winds will turn west and blow over 100kmh, weakening over the day. The alpine will cool Saturday with temperatures in the -10 to -15C range, and -5C at 2000m.

Snowpack Summary

10-20 settled hst with wind over the past few days has added to windslabs at treeline and above. These overlie facets in many places. The Dec. 2 crust and facets are anywhere from 130cm deep in the snowpack in thicker parts, and half that depth in thinner snowpack areas such as Mt. Stephen and Mt. Dennis.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches were observed in the area on Thursday. Further East, a few larger avalanches on the Dec 2 crust and facets, as well as wind slabs have been triggered up to size 3. In Little Yoho, a few avalanches from previous days have us believing the Dec 2 is becoming active in thinner snowpack areas.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

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.