Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 24th, 2015 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Deep Persistent Slabs.

ian jackson, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

The drought continues and the avalanche danger is slowly decreasing. Be mindful of steep rocky or shallower snowpack areas where you may tickle the basal facets. LP

Summary

Weather Forecast

Cooler temperatures are forecasted for the remainder of the week and generally light winds. Expect to see some light flurries Wednesday, but they will not amount to much in accumulation. Heat & solar related avalanches should not be an issue tomorrow with the forecasted cooler temperatures and overcast skies.

Snowpack Summary

A well settled upper snowpack with highly variable depths sits over the ever present weak facets and depth hoar in the bottom half of the snowpack. Colder temperatures have helped the slab bridge over the weaker base. Expect to find some wind slabs in lee areas in the alpine.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported today. A few size 1-2 loose wet avalanches observed out of steep solar aspects on Monday. A larger size 2.5 slab on a south aspect of Mt. Redoubt also occurred on Monday afternoon during the heat of the day.

Confidence

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

The lower half of the snowpack is weak due to the presence of basal depth hoar and facet layers. Natural activity has ceased but skier triggering is still possible, especially in shallow areas and places where the snowpack is unevenly distributed.

Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Feb 25th, 2015 4:00PM