Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 11th, 2016–Apr 12th, 2016

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Little Yoho.

Travel conditions should be good early in the day but plan to start early and be down early. Enjoy the spring skiing conditions!

Weather Forecast

Monday night should see a light freeze followed by a another warm day on Tuesday with freezing levels around 2400 m. A slight cooling trend follows on Wednesday with the chance of some light flurries.

Snowpack Summary

We are into a spring cycle for most of the Little Yoho area except in the high alpine. Dry snow exists only in high North facing terrain. Occasional pockets of deep instability may still be encountered and triggered from shallow locations during warm periods of the day.

Avalanche Summary

Loose wet avalanches up to size 2 on solar aspects in the afternoon.

Confidence

Problems

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.