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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 4th, 2016–Mar 5th, 2016

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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Little Yoho.

High freezing levels over the weekend will elevate the danger slightly and bring the possibility of moist surface sluffing at lower elevations. Watch the freezing levels closely and pull back into more conservative terrain as things heat up.

Weather Forecast

Increased freezing levels up to 1800m with light flurries and moderate west winds are forecast for the weekend.

Snowpack Summary

20-30 cm of recent storm snow with sun crusts forming on solar aspects to treeline. Moist surface snow below 1600m and wet snow below 1300m on Friday. Expect to find small wind slabs forming in lee areas in the alpine. Generally, the snowpack is well consolidated with few weaknesses.

Avalanche Summary

Some solar triggered sluffing in steep rocky terrain, and moist sluffing and snowballing at lower elevations.

Confidence

Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

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.