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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 2nd, 2022–Jan 3rd, 2022

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

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

Good skiing can be found in sheltered areas, and conditions are slowly improving. Use caution in wind loaded areas, keep an eye on the Dec 2 interface, and stay prepared for the continued cool temperatures!

Weather Forecast

Moderate gusting to strong SW winds in the alpine on Sunday night, dropping into the moderate range on Monday with treeline temperatures steady in the -15 C range. A few flurries are expected with up to 5 cm of accumulation and a generally cloudy day on Monday.

Snowpack Summary

5-10 cm of snow overnight with strong SW winds up high. Wind slabs are present in lee areas of the alpine and some treeline locations with wind effect in open alpine areas. 50-70 cm over the Dec 2 crust/facet combo which exists below 2200 m. Shallow snowpack areas (<100cm) have weaker basal facets. Snowpack depths at treeline are from 120-160 cm.

Avalanche Summary

Some size 1-2 wind slab avalanches triggered by explosives and ski cutting at the local ski areas Sunday. A couple cornice failures creating small avalanches in steep terrain but very little natural activity overall. Still keeping in mind the skier triggered size 2 avalanche Thursday in Kootenay on the Dec 2 crust/facet interface at about 2000 m.

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.

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.