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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 4th, 2021–Mar 5th, 2021

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

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A Special Avalanche Warning is in effect, click here.

Beautiful day today! Expect another crust on solar aspects. Start and finish early, expect the hazard to increase as the day warms or with prolonged solar input.

Weather Forecast

A ridge of high pressure continues to bring mainly sunny skies, rising temperatures and 30-80km/hr winds from the South West. The freezing level is expected to rise to ~2000m on Friday with valley bottom temperatures reaching +10. Expect increasing cloud Friday afternoon with light flurries overnight and into Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Strong SW winds have scoured exposed slopes and formed wind slab in alpine lee areas and open tree line slopes.  Expect a new surface crust on solar aspects. In the Little Yoho Valley, the height of snow at tree line is ~280cm and does not seem to have the same Persistent Slab problem as Banff and Kootenay region.

Avalanche Summary

Sunny skies and warm temperatures will have an effect on solar aspects, triggering loose wet avalanches and increasing the sensitivity of wind slabs & cornices.  Many natural and explosive triggered avalanches to size 3 in the Banff region in the past week.  Two close calls in the Simpson area of Kootenay Park last weekend.

Confidence

Timing of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Friday

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.

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.