Avalanche forecast

Banff Yoho Kootenay

Jan 1 – 2, 2015Parks Canada
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Happy New Year!  Starting to see some tracks in steeper terrain, however our confidence in strength of the snowpack is low given it's weak basal structure and inconsistent field test results.

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    While the cold temperatures have stabilized the snowpack temporarily, it's overall structure remains weak. Travel under and beside avalanche paths is reasonable, but continue to avoid or be very careful when touching any avalanche start zones.

Weather Forecast

Milder daytime highs for Thursday (-8C).  A weak low moving down from the NW will bring some flurries (5 cm) on Friday coupled with another drop in temperatures through the day with  a gusty West wind.  Expect mainly cloudy skies with flurries through the weekend and perhaps accumulations of 5 cm per day.

Snowpack Summary

70-110 cm of snowpack exists across the region. The main weakness is at the base of the snowpack, where facets and depth hoar produce inconsistent test results 15 cm above the ground. Overall we believe the snowpack is gaining strength, but our confidence in this assessment is low. The Dec 18 layer of SH found further west is not prominent here.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed or reported today.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Regions covered