Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Some great skiing to be had for those who brave the cold! If you go, remember to pack extra layers, choose short objectives close to the road, and be prepared to survive the cold if something goes wrong.
Weather Forecast
A generally stable weather pattern for the next 3 days. Daytime highs will be ~ -20 C and overnight lows ~ -30 C. A weak system moves through Wednesday afternoon/ overnight with increased alpine winds and a few centimetres of snow. Otherwise, clear skies, cold temperatures and light winds dominate.
Snowpack Summary
10-40 cm of snow last week with wind from various directions has developed small wind slabs mainly in the alpine but also in isolated treeline areas. There is 50-70 cm over the Dec 2 crust/facet combo which exists below 2200m. This has not been an active problem yet but we are monitoring it closely. Shallow areas (<100 cm) have weaker basal facets
Avalanche Summary
A couple size 1 loose dry natural avalanches were observed on Tuesday in steep alpine terrain. These were primarily from steep, rocky, thin snowpack areas and likely a result of the cold temperatures facetting the snowpack. Local ski areas were able to trigger small wind slabs in lee areas in the alpine with ski cuts and explosives.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Last weeks snow and winds from a variety of directions have created wind slabs in the alpine. These can be triggered by skiers/boarders in the right spot, so choose your lines of ascent and descent with this in mind.
- Watch for surface cracking and stiffer surface layers of snow. Avoid wind loaded terrain.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Dry
Recent cold temperatures have promoted faceting of the snowpack. This is most prevalent in thin, steep, rocky areas, and we are starting to see some natural avalanche activity in these isolated thin snowpack areas.
- Use caution in thin snowpack areas.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1