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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 11th, 2025–Apr 12th, 2025

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

Regions

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

Cooler weather and less solar input is expected on Saturday. Despite the arrival of spring, the snowpack remains weaker in this region. We remain wary of all steep alpine terrain on shaded aspects where crusts are absent.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed or reported Friday. The field team noted active wind loading at upper elevations, and suspected reactive wind slab development in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

10 cm of snow sits atop crusts on all aspects except north-facing alpine slopes. The integrity of the snowpack is based mostly upon the strength of the surface crust when it refreezes overnight (or doesn't). In areas with no surface crust, concern remains due to the weak basal facets, which have plagued the mid and base of the snowpack all winter. This makes most steep, alpine terrain in the shallow snowpack areas of BYK suspect, and we have lower confidence in this snowpack.

Weather Summary

A low-pressure system moving into the forecast region on Saturday is expected to bring precipitation, with snow accumulations of10 to 20 cm. At lower elevations, this may fall as rain. Ridge-top winds are expected to ease with light values from the SW, and temperatures at valley bottoms will hover around zero. By the end of the weekend, a clearing trend is expected, accompanied by rising temperatures.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep, sun-exposed slopes when the air temperature is warm or when solar radiation is strong.
  • Start your day early and be out of avalanche terrain during the heat of the day.

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.