Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 19th, 2016 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Loose Dry and Wind Slabs.

Aaron Beardmore, Parks Canada

Banff Yoho Kootenay.

We are experiencing incremental loading as the new snow and wind build on top of facets. Loose snow facet-lanches are running far, fast and powerfully.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Light accumulations will continue. Up to 15cm of snow can be expected between now and the end of Friday. The wind is expected to pick up on Thursday midday (Moderate West). All of these small weather inputs are contributing to incremental loading.

Snowpack Summary

15-25cm of recent storm snow from the past week has been blown into windslabs in high alpine areas. Meanwhile, the overall snowpack continues to gradually become weaker from the facetting process, and in some areas the upper snowpack is comprised entirely of facets with no cohesion.

Avalanche Summary

Forecasters were able to ski cut a size 1.5 windslab that entrained facets and ran for 700m.

Confidence

Problems

Loose Dry

New snow and surface facets will sluff easily in steep terrain (40+ degrees). These sluffs may have high consequence for skiers or climbers in large or confined terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

The new snow over the last week has been adding up in increments, compounded by moderate west winds to create localized windslabs. Today, forecasters were able to ski cut numerous soft slabs in the immediate lee. They were small, slow and sluggish.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 20th, 2016 4:00PM