Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Banff Yoho Kootenay, Field, Lake Louise, Little Yoho, West Side 93N.
Travel is generally safer in deeper snowpack terrain features while avoiding thin and thick-to-thin areas. Carefully assess and monitor the amount of snow your party is traveling on.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches to report.
48h ago there was a size 3, remote-triggered avalanche in the Lake Louise backcountry.
Snowpack Summary
Northerly aspect of the alpine still hold dry snow. While there is a sun crust to ridge top on solar aspects. The crust also exists on specific terrain features treeline, and below on polar aspects.
The March 20 temperature crust extends to 2100 m on all aspects and to ridge top on solar aspects.
The Feb 3rd layer is down ~ 50 -100 cm and the weak basal facets persist in thin snowpack areas.
Total snowpack depths range from 90-170 cm at treeline.
Weather Summary
Monday: Light West/NW winds, freezing levels rising to 1500m with a mix of sun and cloud. -4 C is the forecast high at 2000m.
Tuesday: Up to 2000m freezing levels, winds moderate out of the west and the potential for snowfall/convective activity in the afternoon, less than 5 cm forecast.
Click here for more weather info.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
Avalanche Problems
Persistent Slabs
The Feb 3 crust/facet interface is down 50-100 cm. Triggering avalanches is possible in thin snowpack areas.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3
Deep Persistent Slabs
Thin and thick-to-thin features as well as polar aspects of the alpine are higher likelyhood areas for triggering this avalanche problem.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3.5