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 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.
Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
We continue to see avalanche activity and close calls daily. It is NOT A GOOD TIME for big terrain. Stick to conservative terrain and enjoy the new snow!
Weather Forecast
The jet stream is over us so expect to get regular snow throughout the week. The next storm will come in on Wed PM and we should see continuous light snow accumulating to 10-15 cms by Friday PM. Freezing levels are warming to 1500m on Wed and spiking to 2000m on Thursday before lowering on Friday. Alpine winds will be moderate to strong W/SW.
Snowpack Summary
Fresh windslabs and cornice growth in the alpine with 15 to 30 cm of recent snow and west winds. A 50-100 cm slab overlies the January 6th weak layer of surface hoar, facets and sun crust and snowpack tests indicate an unstable bond between the two. The lower snowpack is facetted and quite weak in thinner areas (<1.5m) and settled in thicker areas.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity subsided Tuesday with minimal new snow overnight, however we are just coming out of a natural cycle on Sunday night and we have had many close calls in the last week. A new report yesterday of a size 2 low down on the approach to Bow hut that crossed the regular uptrack is indicative of activity we have been seeing lately.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Thursday
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.
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.