Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 24th, 2013 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

snow safety, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

New snow West of the divide has freshened up the skiing. Previous winds have scoured winward slopes down to bare rock in many areas.SH

Summary

Weather Forecast

Another 5cm by Friday afternoon with mainly mod-strong alpine West winds. Alpine temperatures should stay in the -10C range for Friday.

Snowpack Summary

Lake Ohara region today, 15-20cm in last 24 hrs with mod-strong ridge winds creating soft wind slabs in exposed features. 2450m ~170cm on Opabin glacier. Most new along and W of divide. Variable hard slabs from previous strong winds now mainly buried. In thinner snowpack areas and below treeline midpack facetted and weake.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity today except for sloughing out of climbing terrain.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations on Thursday

Problems

Wind Slabs

Soft wind slabs up to 30cm thick have formed mainly along and W of the divide. Expect to find these near ridge top which may not bond well in the short term to hard slabs below.

The recent snow may now be hiding windslabs that were easily visible before the snow fell.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 2

Persistent Slabs

Hard slabs are possible to trigger from thinner snowpack areas on facets in steeper terrain. These have been mainly unreactive in the last 48 hours but are still a concern.

Caution around convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 25th, 2013 4:00PM