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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

May 7th, 2024–May 8th, 2024

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

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

Warm temperatures, lots of sunshine and high freezing levels will result in an widespread avalanche cycle beginning on Wednesday. Little recovery of the temperatures are expected overnight. This is a good time to avoid all avalanche terrain.

Confidence

No Rating

Avalanche Summary

Poor visibility and limited observations today. Suspect some loose wet activity associated with warm temperatures and rain at lower elevations (below 2200m).

Snowpack Summary

10-25 cm of new snow and some fresh wind-slab development exist in the alpine. Warm temperatures and lots of solar radiation forecasted for Wednesday through Saturday will weaken the upper snowpack resulting in widespread loose moist avalanches.

The mid-pack persistent layer and basal depth hoar layer are expected to become active with the warm temperatures, resulting in deeper and full depth slab avalanches.

Weather Summary

A ridge of high pressure develops over the forecast area on Wednesday. This will bring warm temperatures, clear skies and rising freezing levels.

Freezing Levels are forecasted to rise to 2700m on Wednesday and above 3000m on Thursday. Little recovery of the freezing levels are expected overnight.

For more detailed weather click here.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • The likelihood of deep persistent slab avalanches will increase with each day of warm weather.
  • The more the snowpack warms-up and weakens, the more conservative you`ll want to be with your terrain selection.

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.

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.