Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Little Yoho.
Cooler temperatures and less solar input will further help minimize the avalanche hazard on Sunday. So far we have not seen much evidence of the same persistent problems that are active in the Banff and Kootenay regions but use caution in thin areas.
Weather Forecast
Clouds and light flurries are forecast for Sunday with a few cm's of accumulation starting late in the afternoon and evening. Alpine winds will be in the high end of Moderate from the SW which will help keep things cool but could move snow in the alpine. Treeline temperatures will be around -5 with valley bottom temperatures just above freezing.
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of new snow sits over a crust on solar aspects. Previous strong SW winds scoured alpine ridges and created wind slab in some alpine lee areas. Small facets are present down 70-100 cm but we are getting minimal to no results in snowpack tests and not seeing avalanche activity on these layers like we are in the Banff and Kootenay regions.
Avalanche Summary
Small loose wet sluffs were observed on steep solar aspects Saturday when the sun came out. No new slab avalanches were observed. Some natural cornice and explosive triggered avalanches up to size 3 were observed in the past four days during the big warm up.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Some wind slabs exist in lees of alpine features from previous strong winds. Recent cornice failures have also been observed. The wind slabs have been less reactive in the past two days but caution is still advised in steep lee areas.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Wet
The new snow is likely to sluff in steep solar terrain anytime the sun comes out and rapid heating occurs. This can be amplified in thin rocky areas. Watch for this in gullies or couloirs that have a solar aspect above them.
- Pay attention to sluffing off cliffs and steep solar terrain, signs of a warming snowpack.
- Watch for moist surface snow over crust on steeper solar aspects.
Aspects: South East, South, South West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1