Avalanche forecast

Banff Yoho Kootenay

Mar 21 – 22, 2019Parks Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
4 · High
Open full map

Highlights

http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/scond/Cond_E.asp?oID=34810&oPark=100092One more day of avoiding avalanche terrain completely - although if you must travel, go early and be done early. Highs of +15 to +20 are producing avalanches everywhere. Cooler air and clouds return on Saturday.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Certain
    Size
    1–3
    Rapidly warming daytime temperatures and high solar inputs are causing loose wet avalanches to start by mid morning. Some of these are running long distances or triggering slabs along the way. Avoid exposure to these slopes when they heat up.

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Extended warm temperatures, solar radiation and buried weak layers are producing wet slab avalanches in all locations except high alpine, north (shady) aspects. The simple answer is to avoid all avalanche terrain until it cools and the snow freezes.

Weather Forecast

One more day of unseasonal heat on Friday and then the clouds roll in and the temperatures drop (somewhat). Expect overnight lows of only 0 or +1 for Thursday night and then highs between +10 and +15 degrees on Fri (we reached +20 at Bow Summit on Wed!). Saturday will be cloudy with temperatures hovering around 0 and then light snow for Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

On all aspects and elevations except high north, morning surface crusts are deteriorating early in the day and the snowpack is becoming wet with isothermal snow at low elevations. North aspects in alpine areas are holding some dry snow, but the warm air temperatures may have created soft slab conditions overlying weak facets formed in February.

Avalanche Summary

A widespread avalanche cycle continues with mainly large, loose wet avalanches gathering significant mass by pushing wet snow low down in the avalanche paths. Today we observed many avalanches brown with dirt and running to mid-way down the fans of the runout zone. Even runout zone areas should be considered a risk in the afternoons until it cools.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Regions covered