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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2024–Mar 18th, 2024

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

Solar heating will again be the dominant weather input Monday however heating may have peaked Sunday.

Solar and human-triggered avalanches remain possible.

Conditions are set to change dramatically Tuesday.

Through these fluctuating heating conditions, we will list the highest expected rating of the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A natural avalanche cycle continued today with the field team reporting fresh avalanches from the past 24hrs near the Lake Louise Ski Area. Avalanches up to size 3.5 on all aspects and at all elevations have been observed over the last 3 days. Human remote triggering of the persistent and deep persistent layers also continues as people venture near avalanche terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Moist snow up to 2600m on all aspects and as higher on solar aspects with daytime heating. Crust formation during the evening depending on freezing levels. Only high north aspects hold dry snow. 40-90 cm of settled snow overlies weaker facets above the Feb 3 interface which is a crust up to at least 2500 m. The base of the snowpack consists of weak facets. Deeper snowpack areas (west of the divide) are more settled and dense.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night: Below freezing in the valley bottoms with an AFL from 2300m to 2700m. Winds light to moderate westerly.

Monday: Freezing levels rise to 2800m with winds remaining light to moderate.

Tuesday: As the day starts, freezing levels will climb to near 2000m, then a cold front arrives with increasing clouds, cooling, and snow into the afternoon. Winds SW light.

For more details on the weather, click here.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent and overhead slopes.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.

Problems

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.

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.

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.