Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 1st, 2018 6:06PM

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

Parks Canada Conrad Janzen, Parks Canada

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Banff Yoho Kootenay.

The main concerns right now are small buried wind slabs and sluffing in steep terrain. We have removed the persistent slab problem because of a lack of activity on this layer, but the structural weakness remains and the problem may show up again.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Temperatures should cool on Friday while the winds remain light from the East. About 5cm of new snow is expected Friday with an additional 5 cm on Saturday and continued light winds and cool temperatures.

Snowpack Summary

A few cm's of new snow Thursday with light E winds. Buried wind slabs exist in most open areas at higher elevations, with loose surface facets at lower elevations. Three mid-pack weak layers of surface hoar and/or facets down 100-130 cm appear well bonded, but are worth checking on bigger slopes. Recent tests are showing no results on those layers.

Avalanche Summary

Small explosive triggered wind slabs were reported at local ski areas Thursday, with the debris entraining surface facets. Surface sluffing was also reported in steep treeline areas in Kootenay. We have not seen any avalanche activity on the persistent layers for about ten days and have removed this as a problem but the structural weakness remains.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs
Buried wind slabs exist in lee areas in the alpine. While they may not be very thick or particularly touchy, they certainly have the potential to carry you into an undesirable location (cliffs/terrain traps) if triggered in steep terrain.
Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Mar 2nd, 2018 4:00PM

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