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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 31st, 2016–Apr 1st, 2016

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Little Yoho.

Avalanche control on Mts. Bourgeau, Whymper, Bosworth, Stephen and Wardle Friday. No outdoor activities there. Forecast clearing skies means high solar impact. Expect large avalanches in the region.

Weather Forecast

Friday looks like a crux day with freezing levels to 2500-2600m, light winds and a good chance this cloud will clear off producing high solar input. Saturday will see increased cloud and a switch to a westerly flow with moderate W winds in the alpine and freezing levels up to 2500m.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is in transition between winter and spring, and is a poor example of both. There was a 2-4cm crust (thinner BTL) on solar aspects to ridgetop with moist snow underneath Thursday AM, and this crust is breaking down during the day. Dry powder snow only exists on high North facing terrain

Avalanche Summary

A flight from the Wapta to Banff showed solar induced loose,wet avalanches to size 2 in the last 24 hours, and some deeper releases to size 2.5, mainly below steep cliffs in the alpine. Reports of many solar induced natural avalanches in Kootenay today to size 3.5 where the sun has been out all day. Many of these are stepping to ground.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Friday

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.