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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 19th, 2025–Mar 20th, 2025

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

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

Human triggering of avalanches remain very likely.

We are in a dangerous time for decision-making: the danger is less obvious, people want to ski, and the weather is nice. Manage your desires carefully.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

LL ski hill observed a natural size 2.5 slab avalanche out of S aspect and rocky start zone, on Wednesday. Avalanche control in the Field area produced avalanches up to size 3 on Mt Cathedral.

A group digging a snowpit in low angle terrain with no overhead exposure on Observation Peak on March 18th felt a whumph that remote triggered 5-6 avalanches up to size 2.5.

Evidence of a widespread natural cycle in the last 96 hours was observed throughout the region today during a flight.

Snowpack Summary

Over the past 10 days, 40-90 cm of snow has accumulated and settled into a slab, with the deepest amounts found in the Bow Summit area and along the Wapta. This sits on a very weak, faceted mid and lower snowpack and fails easily in snowpack tests. This condition will be slow to stabilize.

Expect a surface crust on solar aspects treeline and below.

Weather Summary

Wednesday night: Cloudy with clear periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: Low -9 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 15-35 km/h

Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: High -5 °C. Ridge wind west: 20 km/h gusting to 45 km/h

Friday: Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries. Accumulation: 5 cm. Alpine temps: Low -10 °C, High -5 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h gusting to 50 km/h

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Remote triggering is a big concern, be aware of the potential for wide propagations and large, destructive avalanches at all elevations.
  • Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.

Problems

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.