Avalanche forecast

Banff Yoho Kootenay

Mar 12 – 13, 2014Parks Canada
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Natural activity has slowed down, but human triggering remains likely. Give the snowpack some time to heal. SH

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Mod to strong Westerly winds will be stiffening the snow surface and transporting snow to lee aspects. These will be sensitive to human triggering for the next few days.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–3
    Natural activity has slowed down on this layer, but we have seen large avalanches over the past few days with the new storm snow overloading the Feb.10th interface. In some cases we have seen this step down to the basal facets in thin snowpack areas.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    2
    Watch locally for daytime warming in steep, solar features.

Weather Forecast

West winds will be light gusting strong on Thursday with no snow expected.  Alpine temperatures will stay below freezing throughout the day.  There should be a fair amount of sun throughout the forecast region.

Snowpack Summary

85-100cm of storm snow has fallen in the Sunshine, Kootenay and Yoho areas, with 40-60cm around Lake Louise and Bow Summit since Mar 2nd. This storm snow has overloaded the Feb 10th layer of facets, surface hoar and sun crust, and in thinner snowpack areas, the deeper basal facet layer, causing large, destructive avalanches with wide propagations.

Avalanche Summary

Some solar activity up to size 2 in the Mount Field area today. We have seen a large natural avalanche cycle up to size 3.5 over the past week, with wide propagations on many different aspects and elevations. Also, skier triggered avalanches including remote triggered slides to size 3 have been occurring frequently in the past few days.

Confidence

Regions covered