Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 14th, 2014 4:10PM
The alpine rating is Persistent Slabs, Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeAvalanche control planned for tomorrow on Mt. Bourgeau and the Vermillion Crossing (KNP) slide paths. Please no recreational activities in these areas. Extremely touchy conditions in high snow fall areas: KNP, Sunshine back-country, & Yoho.
Summary
Weather Forecast
A break in the snow tomorrow and the wind will be moderate with strong gusts (SW). Another system starting Saturday night through Monday will bring another 10-25 cm, more to the North end of the region. Winds will be strong SW with gusts over 100 kph on Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
Treeline storm snow amounts are 75 cm in Kootenay & Yoho, 60 cm in the Sunshine area, & 25 cm in the Louise/Hwy 93N areas. Winds,warm temps causing slab development in exposed areas,which overlies a complex layer of facets, surface hoar and sun crust on solar aspects. Below this a generally well settled midpack overlying the basal depth hoar layer.
Avalanche Summary
Another field trip to Kootenay, forecasters were able to remote trigger several size 2`s on any steep (>35 deg) unsupported terrain features. One was triggered from 300 m away. These were running 100-300m and were on average 30-40cm deep. One natural size 3 observed on a SE aspect, ran about 1000m. Still touchy around sunshine as well.
Confidence
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Touchy slabs continue to build and stiffen over a combination of facets, surface hoar, and sun crust on solar aspects. Large propagations (upto 300 m) and several skier remote triggered avalanches to size 2 were observed today in KNP.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Winds will continue to build slabs in the lee of ridge crests and exposed areas. These slabs rest on facets or hard surfaces and have not bonded to these layers yet.
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features.
- Avoid areas with overhead hazard.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 15th, 2014 4:00PM