Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Little Yoho.
Watch for buried wind slabs in steep terrain and enjoy the good skiing in sheltered areas.
Weather Forecast
A westerly flow will bring partly cloudy skies to the Banff forecast regions on Wednesday as another weak system approaches. We should see periods of flurries through the day with no significant accumulation. Strong westerly winds in the alpine will continue to move snow at ridge tops.
Snowpack Summary
10-20 cm of recent storm snow covers previously formed wind slabs in lee areas, and buried sun crusts on steep solar aspects. The Feb 1 rain crust is down 20-50 cm and present below 1900 m. A dense snowpack with no significant weaknesses is present in most areas, but thin rocky areas have a faceted base.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed or reported Tuesday.
Confidence
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Buried wind slabs are present in lee areas of the alpine with isolated pockets of wind slab down into treeline. Cornices have grown very large in recent weeks, so minimize your exposure to them when possible.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could trigger slabs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2