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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 28th, 2024–Jan 29th, 2024

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

Regions

Kootenay, Field.

ICE CLIMBERS SHOULD AVOID ALL GULLY CLIMBS as very warm temperatures, rain to 1900 m and strong winds are causing an avalanche cycle. Avalanche control is planned on Monday for the Sunshine Road and the Trans-Canada Highway from the BC/AB border to Field. Mt. Bourgeau, Mt. Stephen and Mt. Field are closed on Monday.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Both ski areas (Sunshine and Lake Louise) reported small avalanches from ski cutting but nothing significant. Bosworth 3 (above the highway) released a size 2.5 natural in the last 12 hours, stopping in the trees. Otherwise, observations have been very limited due to poor visibility.

Snowpack Summary

Rain has saturated the snowpack up to 1900 meters and wind has created windslabs in most alpine/treeline areas. These slabs are releasing on two weak layers in the upper snowpack: 1) facets from the cold snap 10-30cm deep, and 2) surface hoar or sun crust below the facets 30-50cm deep. The lower snowpack is comprised of weak facets and depth hoar. Overall this is a weak snowpack that should not be trusted.

Weather Summary

A strong westerly flow is delivering a serious atmospheric river to the BC coast which will spike temperatures and freezing levels in the Rockies. Expect freezing levels to reach 2500 m on Monday accompanied by strong winds and surprisingly, minimal precipitation. Only a few cm of snow or a few mm of rain is expected. These warm temperatures will persist until next weekend.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
  • The likelihood of deep persistent slab avalanches will increase with each day of warm weather.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.

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.