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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 22nd, 2020–Feb 23rd, 2020

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.

Continued inputs with small amounts of snow and wind through the weekend. With increasing likelihood of wind slab or cornice failure, cautious terrain selection is warranted in thin snowpack areas.

Weather Forecast

Strong alpine winds Saturday found morning are forecast to decrease becoming light from the SW by the evening as a low clears the region.

Increasing clouds with light snowfall (4-10 cm)expected Sunday afternoon as a second low approaches from the SW and winds again increase to strong in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

Continued snow transport and cornice growth with winds affecting treeline ridge crests today. 5-10 cm of new snow now burying sun crusts isolated to steep solar facing terrain. Weak, facetted snow near the base of the snowpack persists in much of the range, producing isolated but large avalanches.

Avalanche Summary

A few windslabs in the alpine up to sz 2 were reported on Friday. On Thursday wind slabs were observed up to size 1.5 today along the Icefields Parkway in loaded pockets in the alpine.

A size 2.5 skier remote was reported Wednesday on the scramblers route of Cascade Mountain on a steep SW slope in the alpine, no involvement.

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday

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.

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.