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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 1st, 2023–Apr 2nd, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Clouds with light snowfall should discourage heating through the start of next week with minimal natural avalanche activity expected.

With a generally weak snowpack, human triggering of the lower snowpack facet and depth hoar layers remains a significant concern.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported or observed today.

Snowpack Summary

A few cm of new snow buries sun crusts to ridgetop and temperature crusts below 1500m.

The March 25 interface is down 5 to 15 cm and the March 12 interface is down 15 to 30cm. Both of these are represented by crusts on solar aspects and facets on shaded slopes.

The January sun crust and facet interface is down 40 to 120cm.

The November depth hoar at the base of the snowpack remains weak.

Weather Summary

Saturday evening a low over the Prairies will maintain cloud and flurries as winds shift to the NW at 30km/h. Snowfall amounts: 5-10cm through midday Sunday.

By Sunday afternoon the low will drive an upslope push as winds shift NE and diminish. Snowfall amounts will likely favour the eastern slopes and range from 5-15cm through Monday morning.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.