Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Look for fresh thin wind slabs in the alpine and avoid them. Although flurries and cloud is forecasted Friday, be mindful of any significant periods of sun and the warmth through the day. If the crusts break down, the hazard may rise to moderate.
Weather Forecast
Scattered flurries and partly cloudy skies are forecasted for Friday. Winds (SW) will taper through the day from 40-50 km/hr to 20-30 km/hr. Freezing levels will drop to valley bottom Thursday night and rise to 2000m on Friday. For more details, click here.
Snowpack Summary
Isolated thin windslabs exist in the alpine and mostly noted on immediate lee of features. Surface melt-freeze crusts exist on all aspects up to approx. 2300m and higher on solar aspects. On high elevation north aspects dry snow exists. The mid-pack is well settled but has several persistent layers consisting of crusts and/or facets.
Avalanche Summary
In the alpine, a few 1.5 thin windslabs were ski cut/triggered in the region on Thursday. A fresh size 3 avalanche was observed on the main highway path on Mt. Stephen on Wednesday. This was likely serac triggered.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Small 10-15 cm thick wind slabs were ski cut/triggered Thursday and most reported in the lees of features. Although small in size, it could be enough to send one tumbling down a face or couloir.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Loose Wet
With freezing levels rising to 2000m and the partly cloudy/flurry forecast Friday, we may see this problem develop as crusts melt with any prolonged burst of sunshine combined with day time warming.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5