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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 6th, 2024–Apr 7th, 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.

Sunday looks to be a bit cooler than Saturday although there is some potential for the sun to poke out and freezing levels will still approach 2000m.

Moderate winds overnight Saturday may redistribute some of the dry snow still found on shaded aspects: watch for new slab development.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported Saturday.

The sun initiated a round of loose wet avalanches Friday to sz 1.5 out of steep solar terrain. Skiers and the control teams at the ski hills reported loose dry sluffing in steep terrain and dealt with small soft slabs near ridge tops.

It has now been one week since the last skier triggered avalanches on the Feb 3rd persistent weak layer: a remote in Purple Bowl and a fatal event at the Cathedral Glades.

Snowpack Summary

15-25 cm of snow sits on the early April crust. New surface crusts to 2000m and ridgetop on solar slopes.

The February 3 persistent weak layer remains a concern for human triggering in shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects where no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack remains thin and weak.

Weather Summary

Sat overnight: Freezing level returns to valley bottom with a few flurries. Winds shift NW and increase to the moderate range.

Sun: Mainly cloudy. Winds diminish and shift SW midday before increasing back to moderate overnight and then strong into Monday. Freezing level rises to near 2000m before returning to valley bottom overnight.

Click here for more weather info.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
  • Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent and overhead slopes.

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.

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.

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.