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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 23rd, 2020–Feb 24th, 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 unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Continue to avoid wind loaded areas in steep terrain, and make cautious route choices in areas with a thin snowpack where the basal weaknesses are more prominent.

Weather Forecast

Monday will be cloudy and see a few light flurries with 2-5 cm of new snow accumulation. Alpine temperatures remain cool with highs around -14'C. Light to moderate W and NW winds are expected through the day.

Snowpack Summary

5-15cm of snow in the last 48 hrs with moderate to strong alpine winds Saturday creating fresh wind slabs in lee areas. Isolated buried sun crusts exist on steep solar aspects. The Feb 1 crust is down 20-50cm and present below 1900m. In thin snow pack areas a dense mid-pack sits over a weak, faceted base. Thick snowpack areas have a denser base.

Avalanche Summary

A few natural and skier triggered wind slabs in the alpine up to size 2 have been reported and observed over the last several days. Some sluffing of the new snow in steep terrain has been observed in areas that got the most new snow over the last couple days.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

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.