Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 21st, 2019 4:05PM

The alpine rating is high, the treeline rating is high, and the below treeline rating is high. Known problems include Loose Wet and Wet Slabs.

grant statham, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/scond/Cond_E.asp?oID=34810&oPark=100092One more day of avoiding avalanche terrain completely - although if you must travel, go early and be done early. Highs of +15 to +20 are producing avalanches everywhere. Cooler air and clouds return on Saturday.

Summary

Weather Forecast

One more day of unseasonal heat on Friday and then the clouds roll in and the temperatures drop (somewhat). Expect overnight lows of only 0 or +1 for Thursday night and then highs between +10 and +15 degrees on Fri (we reached +20 at Bow Summit on Wed!). Saturday will be cloudy with temperatures hovering around 0 and then light snow for Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

On all aspects and elevations except high north, morning surface crusts are deteriorating early in the day and the snowpack is becoming wet with isothermal snow at low elevations. North aspects in alpine areas are holding some dry snow, but the warm air temperatures may have created soft slab conditions overlying weak facets formed in February.

Avalanche Summary

A widespread avalanche cycle continues with mainly large, loose wet avalanches gathering significant mass by pushing wet snow low down in the avalanche paths. Today we observed many avalanches brown with dirt and running to mid-way down the fans of the runout zone. Even runout zone areas should be considered a risk in the afternoons until it cools.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Problems

Loose Wet

Rapidly warming daytime temperatures and high solar inputs are causing loose wet avalanches to start by mid morning. Some of these are running long distances or triggering slabs along the way. Avoid exposure to these slopes when they heat up.

Use extra caution on slopes if the snow is moist or wet.If triggered the loose wet sluffs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Certain

Expected Size

1 - 3

Wet Slabs

Extended warm temperatures, solar radiation and buried weak layers are producing wet slab avalanches in all locations except high alpine, north (shady) aspects. The simple answer is to avoid all avalanche terrain until it cools and the snow freezes.

Use extra caution on solar slopes or if the snow is moist or wet.Travel early before the heat of the day, and avoid big slopes.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Mar 22nd, 2019 4:00PM