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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2016–Mar 31st, 2016

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Little Yoho.

Conditions are poor. The mountains are in the midst of a major transition from winter snowpack to spring melt/freeze cycle, and for the next few days the snowpack is not expected to freeze and gain any strength. Avoid avalanche terrain.

Weather Forecast

A very strong "blocking ridge" of high pressure is stationary over Western Canada, resulting in clear skies and very warm temperatures with some residual cloud and snow/rain expected near and east of the Continental Divide. Thursday will be 10-15 degrees with cloud cover in eastern areas. Cloudy skies will prevent the snow from freezing overnight.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is in transition between winter and spring, and is a poor example of both. Wet and isothermal snow below 1800m; moist snow above that with no freeze expected for Thursday morning. This warm slab of snow overlies buried crusts and will produce avalanches when the sun comes out, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous wet snow avalanches up to size 2 observed in the Lake Louise area, and one size 2 slab on a north aspect at 2400m that failed on deep facets.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.