Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 20th, 2025 4:00PM

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

Avalanche Canada Parks Canada, Avalanche Canada

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Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, LLSA, Lake Louise, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Warming continues, but the real change comes over the weekend with between 10 to 35 cm of new snow, accompanied by warming and wind.

The avalanche danger will rise as new snow accumulates.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A fatal avalanche that occurred south of Golden on Monday. A small windslab on a north aspect at 2300 m carried one person a long way (1000 m) down a steep, confined gully with many terrain obstacles.

No new avalanches were reported or observed in the Banff, Yoho & Kootenay region Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

Aging wind slabs and surface facets sit on top of the Jan 30 interface. Specific areas exposed to the wind may also have strastrugi. The mid-pack is generally weak facets, while depth hoar over a crust forms an even weaker base. The snowpack is the weakest in eastern areas where snow depths are low. In these areas, the basal weaknesses should be carefully considered.

Weather Summary

Thursday night: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: Low -9 °C. Ridge wind west: 25 km/h.

Friday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: High -7 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 30 km/h.

Saturday and Sunday: Periods of snow. Accumulation: 20 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -8 °C, High -6 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 30-45 km/h. Gusting to 65km/h Sunday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present in the snowpack.
  • Loose avalanches may start small, but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
  • Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

Hard wind slabs exist in alpine lee features. Potential failure planes are weak facet layers, or the Jan 30 layer of facets.Steep solar aspects may produce small wet loose avalanches.With recent cold temperature's surface faceting has occurred, increasing the chance of dry loose facet'lanches

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Feb 21st, 2025 4:00PM

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