Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Little Yoho.
Lee areas have been re-loaded by strong winds from the SW creating touchy wind-slabs. Conservative terrain choices will be important to avoid encounters with avalanches over the next few days.
Weather Forecast
The strong/extreme wind from the SW is expected to die down by Monday. A slow warming trend is currently forecast into next week with temperatures reaching close to 0C in the alpine.
Snowpack Summary
40-60 cm of new snow over the past week with extreme SW winds have created new snow slabs over various layers of weaker facets, surface hoar, and buried wind layers. In below treeline areas, this new snow load is sitting on a snowpack entirely made up of facets and depth hoar.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous natural and explosive triggered avalanches were observed and reported throughout the forecast region up to size 3 in the last 72hrs. These have been occurring on many different aspects and at all elevation bands. Most are between 40-60cm in depth, with some "stepping" down to the deeper weak layers.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations on Sunday
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Strong to extreme wind from the SW on Sunday has re-loaded lee areas with fresh wind slabs that are ripe for human triggering. Give avalanche terrain a wide berth and remember that fracture lines may extend further that you expect.
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features.
- If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 3
Persistent Slabs
The new snow has created a touchy slab over the weak facets at all elevations, resulting in many avalanches that could potentially run full path.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 2 - 3