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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 4th, 2021–Apr 5th, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Monday looks like a great day to get out and enjoy the fresh snow on North aspects, just watch for recent wind loading. Start and finish early to optimize travel conditions and minimize any increases in avalanche hazard with day time warming.

Weather Forecast

Sunday night will see freezing levels drop to valley bottom and then rise to around 1700 m on Monday, with treeline highs around -4 C. Alpine winds will be in the light to moderate range out of the W and NW. Skies will be mostly clear so solar inputs may be fairly intense despite cooler air temperatures. No precipitation is expected.

Snowpack Summary

10-20 cm of new snow at treeline over previous crusts and wind effect. New wind slabs forming in alpine lee areas from moderate to strong SW-W winds. Moist snow on all aspects up to 1800 m and higher on solar aspects on Sunday. The March 19 crust interface is down 30-60 cm. Basal facets exist in shallow areas east of the divide.

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday loose dry sluffing was observed in steep alpine and treeline areas up to size 1.5 in the new snow. Ski hills reported ski and explosive triggered soft wind slabs in lee areas up to size 1.5. One size 3 cornice failure on Vulture Peak near the Wapta Icefields was also reported.

Confidence

Due to the number 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 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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.