Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 23rd, 2015 4:00PM

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

grant statham, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's obvious that everyone has been well behaved girls and boys, as Santa has delivered us The Green Brick (3 x Low for all three days) as a gift for the season. Enjoy the amazing backcountry conditions!

Summary

Weather Forecast

The awesome NW flow continues. This is a great upper level (5400m) flow because it's the pathway for carrying cold, moist storm systems into our mountains. However, despite this nicely aligned pathway, there is nothing coming down the pipe for a few days, and Xmas looks to be cold and stable with no new snow in the forecast until at least the 26th.

Snowpack Summary

A well settled snowpack with few weaknesses exists throughout the region with the upper 20 cm comprised of low density powder with no slab. The exception might be high elevation (above 3000m) leeward slopes. Below treeline the Dec 3 layer of surface hoar remains visible and produces hard, but planar test results. This weakness is strengthening.

Avalanche Summary

No new natural slab avalanches have been observed today, except sluffing in really steep terrain due to the low density surface snow.

Confidence

Problems

Persistent Slabs

The slab above this layer has not been very reactive recently. Snow pack tests produce shears in the moderate to hard range. Dig down to identify and test this layer before committing to in steep, open or convex terrain below tree line.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Dec 24th, 2015 4:00PM