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

Mar 3rd, 2017–Mar 4th, 2017

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
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.

Regions

Little Yoho.

An avalanche cycle is expected over the next 24 hours as a reasonably intense storm passes through the area. Large avalanches on the persistent layers would not be surprising with cornices, windslabs and even loose dry avalanches as possible triggers

Weather Forecast

A low is passing over the Jasper area early Friday afternoon with a cold front to follow into the forecast region. Heavy snowfall combined with strong SW winds in the alpine are expected to create rapid loading. Temperatures have reached their peak Friday afternoon and can be expected to cool to -10C values at Treeline for Saturday morning.

Snowpack Summary

40cm of soft snow overlies a well-settled and firm mid-pack. Near treeline, concern remains for a facetted layer that sits in the lower third of the snowpack, and an old surface hoar layer down about 50-70 cm that has recently produced sudden planar shears. Deeper snowpacks to the west of the Wapta Icefields have the strongest snow.

Avalanche Summary

The forecast team on Mt Field today witnessed what was likely a cornice failure off Mt Wapta resulting in a pretty decent cloud seen despite poor visibility at around noon as the storm just started to take hold.

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Friday

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.