Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The new snow has made for some great ski conditions but also increased the hazard, especially in places that got 25-35+ cm over the past few days. Use caution in steep lee areas and confined terrain where a small slide can have larger consequences.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will start out cold and mostly clear with light west winds. Clouds will move in later in the day and winds will increase to the moderate range from the west. Treeline temperatures are expected to stay between -9 and -15 Celsius. No new snow is expected.
Snowpack Summary
10-35 cm of snow has fallen at treeline since March 19th with variable SW-NW winds. This storm snow sits over a sun crust on solar aspects, over a mix of surfaces on North aspects including facets and spotty surface hoar, and over a temperature crust at lower elevations. Minimal new snow at valley bottom with thin areas becoming isothermal.
Avalanche Summary
In Kootenay on Monday, Visitor Safety was able to ski cut a few size 1-1.5 soft storm slabs on steep N aspects at treeline that failed down 20-35 cm on the March 19 interface of facets and surface hoar. Some dry loose avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed and reported in the alpine as well as several small cornice failures.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Small isolated wind slabs can be found in lee areas of the alpine that could be triggered by skiers in steep terrain. On solar aspects these wind slabs may sit over a buried sun crust that can act as a sliding layer.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially in steep confined alpine terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Loose Dry
There has been enough recent snow to produce dry loose avalanches in steep gullies and couloirs over the past couple days. These could occur naturally with additional wind, or be triggered by skiers in steep terrain.
- Be careful of loose dry sluffing in steep, confined or exposed terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Storm Slabs
In places with 25-35+ cm of storm snow over the March 19 interface of facets, spotty surface hoar or sun crust, some small soft slabs are failing with skier traffic in steep terrain. This is not as much of a problem in areas with less storm snow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5