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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 10th, 2016–Feb 11th, 2016

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

Natural and human triggered avalanches continue as a result of warm temperatures and a weak snowpack. Cascade Waterfall ran full path today; ice climbers choose  routes carefully and avoid exposure to avalanche paths until it cools, or they have run.

Weather Forecast

Another clear day ahead, with slightly cooler temperatures in alpine areas (-5ish) and light winds. The freezing level will rise to 1700m again on Thursday afternoon, and combined with any direct sunshine this will be bad for the snowpack. The pattern changes again for Friday when we can expect cooling temperatures and 5-10 cm of new snow.

Snowpack Summary

A 50-100 cm slab now overlies the January 6 weak layer of surface hoar, facets and sun crust and snowpack tests indicate an unstable bond between the two. Below this the snowpack is facetted and quite weak. Warm temperatures over the past 48 hours has triggered an avalanche cycle and left the surface snow effected by sun, temperature & wind crusts.

Avalanche Summary

The avalanche cycle triggered by warm temperatures continued today with a near burial on Twin Cairns near Sunshine Village, and Cascade Waterfall ran full path in the afternoon. Large avalanches have been observed, such as this size 3 slab above the Sunshine Village road triggered by explosives on Tuesday.

Confidence

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.