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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 9th, 2014–Apr 10th, 2014

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

Little Yoho.

Spring conditions are arriving. High North terrain offers the best skiing and early starts and finishes are important. Daytime heating will increase the hazard especially in thin snowpack or rocky areas where the basal facets could be triggered.

Weather Forecast

Thursday will have some light flurries with gusty West winds and alpine temperatures between -11'C and -2'C.  Friday will also have light flurries, freezing levels around 1800m and gusty west winds.  Saturday is a mix of sun and cloud with light winds and alpine temperatures between -6'C and 0'C.

Snowpack Summary

Moist snow to 2000m on all aspects and to ridge top on solar aspects. Wind slabs forming in open areas. Western areas such as Emerald and Field have a deep and stable snowpack. The Lake Louise, Hwy 93 N, & Sunshine areas have a weaker snowpack and we are still getting easy to moderate sudden collapse results on the basal depth hoar in some areas.

Avalanche Summary

Cascade Waterfall and Rogans gulley both produced size three avalanches to ground yesterday afternoon during the warm up. Several other natural slides to ground in shallow areas have been reported by our nearest neighbors today as well as a few natural cornice failures. These will continue to occur with daytime heating over the next day or two.

Confidence

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.

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.

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.