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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 25th, 2025–Apr 26th, 2025

Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Another sunny day is expected Saturday, with freezing levels reaching mountain top. Avalanche hazard will start as Low, but will quickly deteriorate with daytime warming and strong solar imputes —start and finish early.

Click the link for advice on dealing with spring conditions

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Solar heating contributed to increased avalanche activity predominantly on South and West aspects Friday. By mid afternoon we were seeing the crust break down which resulted in a loose wet avalanche cycle to size 2. We also received reports of cornice releases.

No avalanches reported on the persistent weak layer since the last warm-up on April 18th, when there were 2-3 size 2.5 avalanches off Pilot Mtn.

Snowpack Summary

Hard surface crusts exist to ridgetops in the AM on solar aspects, and at treeline and below on northerly aspects. The top 10-20cm was moistening at the ski hills in the afternoon.

North alpine slopes hold 5 - 15 cm of dry snow over firm surfaces. The March 27 crust is 30-70 cm deep and extends to about 2500m on North slopes, reaching ridge top on solar aspects.

Below the settled mid-pack, weak facets and depth hoar remain.

Weather Summary

A ridge of high pressure will remain in place on Saturday, bringing clear skies and strong solar input. Freezing levels will rise to mountain tops, with valley bottom temperatures reaching up to +15°C. On Sunday, cloud cover will increase, accompanied by light precipitation as a low-pressure system moves into the forecast region.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

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.