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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 14th, 2025–Jan 15th, 2025

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

Regions

Little Yoho.

High elevation winds have been strong to extreme for the last week, so be on the lookout for windslabs if venturing into high, windy spots.

It has been weeks since a deep slab was seen in Little Yoho, but a weak snowpack persists in shallow areas - ski the thick, avoid the thin

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches were observed or reported in Little Yoho on Jan 14

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of snow in the last week has been blown into slabs in high alpine areas. At treeline and below, a surface sun crust exists on steep south aspect. This recent snow sits on a layer of facets and surface hoar in some locations, although we haven't seen many avalanches sliding on this layer yet. The mid-pack is generally strong; however, a weak facet layer can be found near the ground in shallow snowpack areas. At treeline, average snowpack depth ranges from 120 to 150 cm.

Weather Summary

Strong westerly winds at ridgetop and mild temperatures will dominate on Wednesday. This will be accompanied by variable cloud cover and trace snow accumulations.

Thursday, we expect extreme SW winds accompanied by up to 10 cm new snow.

On Friday, we will see cooling temperatures and easing winds as arctic air moves in for the weekend.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.

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.