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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 14th, 2021–Apr 15th, 2021

Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

The first real test of the snowpack will occur over the next few days. Temperatures will increase more each day, and the window between Low and High avalanche danger will shorten. Expect a good freeze Thursday AM.

Weather Forecast

A good freeze expected for Thursday AM with freezing levels rising to 2600m during the day and lots of punch from the sun. There will be light E/NE winds. Friday freezing levels will be 2900m, and Saturday 3000m which signals the hottest period yet this spring and the first real test of the snowpack.

Snowpack Summary

15 to 30 cm of settled recent snow at treeline. Crusts up to around 2000m on all aspects and to ridge crest on solar aspects. Several persistent layers exist in the mid to lower snowpack that might be a concern in thin areas with significant warming or with larger triggers like cornices which are prevalent in the alpine.

Avalanche Summary

One size 3 deep persistent slab triggered by cornice failure Tuesday at 10 am on Mt. Stanley. There was also a couple of deeper slab avalanches noted, both East aspects in the alpine. One was just left of the Victoria/Collier Col, and the other off of Mt. Niblock. They are suspect to have release in the past 24 hours and were both size 2.5.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.