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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 31st, 2023–Jan 1st, 2024

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

Regions

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

While our snowpack may feel "settled, positive, or supportive," this consolidated nature of the upper and mid snowpack represents slab properties which is actually cause for concern positioned over the weak basal layers.

Avoid steep or planar alpine or tree line features as these basal layers remain possible to trigger.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday, a group of two on Observation Peak triggered and got caught by, a sz 2 slab that scrubbed the track to the ground.

On Wednesday, a group near Helen Shoulder remote triggered (from 30 m) a size 2 avalanche on the deep persistent layer.

Snowpack Summary

Trace amounts of new snow bury surface hoar below treeline and sun crusts on steep solar slopes treeline and above. Wind effect and old, hard-slab are found TL and above. A temperature crust from just before Christmas is now buried 10-20 cm below 1900m.

The mid-pack contains a rain crust which can be found as high as 2300m in southern areas.

The basal third of the snowpack consists of a mix of weak facets and depth hoar.

Treeline snow depths range from 60-100 cm.

Weather Summary

A weak ridge forms overnight Sunday while isolated flurries persist and light winds shift West. Temperatures drop to below -10C in the alpine.

Pacific moisture will approach the Rockies Monday. Flurries developing in the afternoon are about all that is expected with winds shifting to NW and increasing moderate to strong. Temperatures rise slightly.

For more information, click Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
  • Use caution when approaching steep and rocky terrian.

Problems

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.