Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 28th, 2015 4:00PM

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

Ian Jackson, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

The excellent conditions continue, however low danger does not mean that no avalanches are possible. Keep on the lookout for small windslabs if you are heading into steeper or exposed terrain!

Summary

Weather Forecast

The next few days look like an excellent time to get up high and enjoy some clear skies and light winds. A high pressure system is moving in and temperatures should be cool but not too cold with sunny skies and light north winds.

Snowpack Summary

A well settled snowpack with few weaknesses exists throughout the region. Small isolated wind slabs exist on leeward slopes in the high alpine. Below 2000m, the Dec 3 layer of surface hoar remains visible and produces hard, planar test results in some areas but has not been reactive to skier traffic. Thin snow pack areas are beginning to facet out.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity observed or reported today. A skiier triggered size 1.5 windslab was reported to us on the avalanche.ca Mountain Information Network last night. This occurred in the alpine in the Bow Summit area and was 25m wide and 20 cm deep.

Confidence

The weather pattern is stable

Problems

Wind Slabs

Isolated windslabs can be found in alpine terrain as a result of recent West and Southwest winds. A skiier triggered size 1.5 avalanche was reported on this layer yesterday; however overall these have not been too reactive.

Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Dec 29th, 2015 4:00PM