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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 20th, 2014–Jan 21st, 2014

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Little Yoho.

Today was a beautiful day in the mountains; clear and calm. Tuesday promises to be the same. Another 5-10 cm storm for Wednesday with rising freezing levels - ice climbers heading for Field on Wednesday should make sure it's not raining!

Weather Forecast

Expect a mix of sun and clouds on Tuesday with highs of -2. On Wednesday, winds shift to the north again and a minor system will pass through the area depositing 5-10cm of snow. Freezing levels will rise to1900 m that day, so that means possible rain at lower elevations.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is slowly starting to heal. Observations today on the west side of the Divide (Yoho Park) showed a strong, 150 cm snowpack at treeline with no shears. Eastern areas continue to have a shallow, weak and unpredictable snowpack, but the peak of instability from last week's cycle is past. The snow is very wind effected in the alpine.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed in the last 48-hours.

Confidence

Problems

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.

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.