Avalanche forecast

Banff

Mar 24 – 25, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Travel is generally safer in deeper snowpack terrain features while avoiding thin and thick-to-thin areas. Carefully assess and monitor the amount of snow your party is traveling on.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The Feb 3 crust/facet interface is down 50-100 cm. Triggering avalanches is possible in thin snowpack areas.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3.5

    Thin and thick-to-thin features as well as polar aspects of the alpine are higher likelyhood areas for triggering this avalanche problem.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches to report.

48h ago there was a size 3, remote-triggered avalanche in the Lake Louise backcountry.

Snowpack Summary

Northerly aspect of the alpine still hold dry snow. While there is a sun crust to ridge top on solar aspects. The crust also exists on specific terrain features treeline, and below on polar aspects.

The March 20 temperature crust extends to 2100 m on all aspects and to ridge top on solar aspects.

The Feb 3rd layer is down ~ 50 -100 cm and the weak basal facets persist in thin snowpack areas.

Total snowpack depths range from 90-170 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Monday: Light West/NW winds, freezing levels rising to 1500m with a mix of sun and cloud. -4 C is the forecast high at 2000m.

Tuesday: Up to 2000m freezing levels, winds moderate out of the west and the potential for snowfall/convective activity in the afternoon, less than 5 cm forecast.

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Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

Regions covered