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Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Feb 20th, 2025–Feb 21st, 2025
Alpine
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate
Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate
Below Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be moderate

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

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.

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.

Avalanche Problems

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