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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 23rd, 2025–Feb 24th, 2025

Alpine
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 unlikely, human triggered possible.
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, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

New snow, mild temperatures and strong winds have increased the avalanche hazard!

Natural avalanches are possible and human triggering remains likely. Depending on how the weather forecast plays out we could see the hazard reach HIGH in some areas Monday.

Limit your exposure to avalanche terrain to manage this scenario.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A small natural cycle up to size 2 was observed in the backcountry at treeline and above though visibility was limited.

Ski hills were able to trigger wind/storm slabs with ski cuts and explosives up to size 2 with failures in the new snow and on the facets under the new snow.

A skier accidental size 2 wind slab that likely propagated on the facets under the storm snow was observed on Twin Cairns with one person going for a rocky ride but ending up relatively unscathed.

Snowpack Summary

10-30 cm of new snow has fallen with mild temps and strong S-SW winds helping to form new wind and storm slabs. This new snow sits over a layer of weak facets, surface hoar or sun crust from the past few dry cold weeks.

The mid-pack is generally weak facets, while depth hoar and crusts form an even weaker base. The snowpack is the weakest in eastern areas where snow depths are low. In these areas, the basal weaknesses should be carefully considered.

Weather Summary

A front will come through Sunday night, bringing anywhere from light flurries to 5-10 cm of new snow. Moderate to strong SW winds continue in the alpine through Monday. Freezing levels will drop to the valley bottom overnight and climb to 1800 m during the day.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded features, especially near ridge crests, rollovers, and in steep terrain.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Loose avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.