Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 11th, 2025–Jan 12th, 2025

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Fresh wind slabs can be found in the alpine and in some locations at treeline.

Ice climbers: avalanches may run further than expected given the dry, sugary snow in avalanche paths.

Confidence

No Rating

Avalanche Summary

MIN and ski hill observations Friday described ski and explosive triggering of a few small, thin wind slabs and wind-driven sluffing out of extreme terrain although visibility was limited. A few further reports of small windslabs from the ski hills Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

5 to 10 cm of snow since Dec 7 and strong to extreme west winds Friday has created slabs in the alpine and some treeline features. The recent snow sits on a layer of facets and surface hoar that persists in isolated locations.

The middle and bottom of the snowpack are weak, with depth hoar and facets near the ground.

An average of 60-100cm of snow can be found at treeline elevations.

Weather Summary

Alpine winds shifted to the NW and became light to moderate Saturday. As a weak ridge forms Sunday, these winds will persist, skies will clear and temperatures will drop a few degrees to range between -8C and -12C near treeline.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.

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.