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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 1st, 2025–Mar 2nd, 2025

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

High freezing levels and strong solar inputs are contributing to widespread avalanche activity. For more details, see Special Avalanche Warning (SPAW) above.

The Simpson and Mount Wardle closure zones will be closed on Sunday, March 2, for avalanche control. No backcountry activities will be permitted in this area for the day.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Natural avalanche activity continued on Saturday due to warm temperatures and strong solar inputs throughout the day. Widespread loose wet avalanches were observed on most steep, solar-exposed terrain. Several cornice failures were reported at local ski resorts, triggering persistent slabs up to size 2.5.

Avalanche control on Mount Whymper resulted in numerous releases, up to size 3.5, triggering the January 30th persistent problem.

Snowpack Summary

Newly formed crust on solar aspects overlays previous formed slabs up to 60cm thick. The slabs sit on weak layers of facets, surface hoar or sun crust formed in late Jan and Feb.

The mid and lower snowpack is mostly well-settled, though it is heavily facetted in thin snowpack areas. Tree-line snow depths range from 120 cm to 180 cm.

Weather Summary

The ridge of high pressure will persist through Sunday, with freezing levels at 2200m, light to moderate winds, and clear skies. Late Sunday night, an upslope weather system from the east will move in, bringing cooler temperatures and precipitation, primarily affecting the eastern parts of the forecast region. Snow accumulation for Monday is expected to range from 2 to 10 cm.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Avoid steep, sun-exposed slopes when the air temperature is warm or when solar radiation is strong.

Problems

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.