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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2023–Mar 31st, 2023

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

Solar input is the main issue in the Yoho region, as the lower snowpack is stronger here than further east in the Rockies. Friday's danger ratings reflect daytime heating, then the clouds roll in late in the day and the snow surface should remain mostly cool into the weekend.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported in the Yoho area today, but our field team observed a 1-2 day old size 2.5 deep persistent slab on Dolomite peak today. Ski hills reported a warm day, but the snow surface remained mostly cool except on steep solar aspects. But, currently, its 4 pm and the sun is high for a few more hours...

Snowpack Summary

Surface crusts exist to ridgetop on solar aspects. On polar aspects, 10-25cm of storm snow sits over a facetted interface from March 25th and buried temperature crusts below 1500 m. The midpack in this area is generally strong, although the base of the snowpack consists of weaker facets in thinner areas (<2 m).

Weather Summary

The ridge of high pressure that has dominated the weather pattern this week is breaking down overnight and we can expect a change starting Friday. The weather switches to a SW flow, the wind will increase to 40 km/hr and a few flurries are expected and we might get 5 cm by Saturday. Freezing levels are forecasted to be about the same: 1500-2000 m.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Avoid exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.

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.

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.