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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 11th, 2020–Mar 12th, 2020

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Great skiing can be found through the forecast region.  Keep the avalanche problems in mind while traveling in the backcountry.

Weather Forecast

Mix of sun and cloud Thursday with temperatures near 0 degrees at valley bottom. Winds will remain in the light to moderate range at upper elevations.  A cooling trend will start this weekend as temperatures are forecasted to drop near -25 on Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

10-15cm of snow Wednesday night has been transported by moderate winds at upper elevations creating wind slabs on immediate lee slopes. On steep solar a thin crust has formed on the surface. We continue to monitor the deep, weak facetted snow in the shallower areas of the park.

Avalanche Summary

Direct observation of a natural size 3 cornice release from the postcard face on Cascade mountain. The avalanche ran 1700m to the top of the run out zone. I was difficult to tell if it pulled a slab, though it did entrain a lot of mass in the track.

Confidence

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.

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.