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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 22nd, 2022–Mar 23rd, 2022

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

Extensive avalanche control is planned in the Yoho and Highway 93 North areas on Wednesday, March 23.

Mount Stephen, Mount Field, Cathedral, Mount Hector, Noseeum Peak and Silverhorn/Observation Peak Closure Zones are in effect Wednesday, March 23.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday will be mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and moderate winds out of the west, freezing levels could reach as high as 2500m. A cold front will arrive in the area on Wednesday evening, freezing levels will lower back to valley bottom. Thursday will be a mix of sun and cloud with alpine temps up to -6.

Snowpack Summary

5-10cm of recent snow overlies old wind slabs in alpine and isolated areas at treeline. The recent snow has formed new soft wind slabs in lee alpine features. Surface snow is moist on sheltered solar aspects at all elevations, and below 1700m on all aspects. Several buried crusts exist on solar aspects and are found 30 to 80 cm deep.

Avalanche Summary

Natural cornice releases up to size 2.5 on all aspects and a skier triggered size 2 wind slab on an east aspect were reported on Monday. On Sunday, Bourgeau-Left waterfall (next to Sunshine gondola) released a large natural avalanche that ran over the waterfall and hit Healy Creek. This may have been triggered by a cornice or strong solar effect.

Confidence

Freezing levels are uncertain

Problems

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.

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.

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.