Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Little Yoho.
Watch for buried wind slabs in steep terrain and enjoy the good skiing in sheltered areas.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will be a mix of sun and cloud with a few light flurries beginning in the evening. Alpine temperatures start to rise with highs around -10'C. Moderate W and NW winds are expected at ridge tops through the day with a slight increase in wind speed in the afternoon.
Snowpack Summary
10-20 cm of recent storm snow covers previously formed wind slabs in lee areas, and buried sun crusts on steep solar aspects. The Feb 1 rain crust is down 20-50 cm and present below 1900 m. A dense snowpack with no significant weaknesses is present in most areas, but thin rocky areas have a faceted base.
Avalanche Summary
A few small explosive and ski cutting triggered wind slabs in the alpine up to size 2 have been reported by the local ski areas in the last couple days. No new natural activity observed in the last 48 hrs. Some sluffing of the new snow in steep terrain near ridge crests and in steep gullies.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Buried wind slabs are present in lee areas of the alpine with isolated pockets of wind slab down into treeline. Cornices have grown very large in recent weeks, so minimize your exposure to them when possible.
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could trigger slabs.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2