Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 10th, 2020–Nov 11th, 2020

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

New snow won't likely stick to the Nov.5 crust very well. There's not much snow over it yet, but watch for any local wind slabs or power sluffing in steep terrain. The crust carries really well for skiing.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Cold in the AM (down to -20C) with SW alpine winds increasing from light to moderate over the day. No new snow expected.

Thursday: Still fairly chilly with winds increasing into the strong range. No new snow expected.

For more weather information click here.

Snowpack Summary

5-10 cm of low density new snow sits on top of a widely variable snowpack. The Nov 5 rain crust sits 20cm off the ground with facets below, is up to 15cm thick, and has been observed to 2500m. At treeline the snowpack ranges from 30-70 cm deep. Some wind slab development in alpine areas, but we have limited observations.

Avalanche Summary

Climbers observed large, loose dry avalanches today in the Storm Creek drainage. These possibly were sliding on the harder surfaces below. Some smaller soft slabs were noted at the Lake Louise ski hill. We still have limited observations from higher alpine terrain.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

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.

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.