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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 1st, 2025–Feb 2nd, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

In the past 48 hours, 10-30cm of new snow has fallen. This will refresh the skiing but has buried a prominent weak layer and a generally weak snowpack. We suspect it will be reactive in the short term.

Get ready for a cold week ahead.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Loose-dry avalanches were seen pouring over the Stanley headwall today. Sunshine and Lake Louise saw both natural storm slab and loose dry avalanches to size 2 out of bounds, and some explosive results to size 2. Most were in the storm snow or on the Jan 30th weak layer. No avalanches have yet been observed to step down to the basal layers.

Snowpack Summary

10-30 cm of new snow over the past 48 hours, coupled with winds, have created storm slabs that are bonding poorly to the underlying snow. The layer being buried (Jan 30) is a mix of crust, surface hoar and facets. The snowpack is generally weak, with an old crust and depth hoar at the base.

Weather Summary

Expect a couple of cm Saturday night and trace amounts on Sunday. Winds will decrease, and cold air will creep in for the foreseeable future. Temperatures will range from -20 to -30C next week.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.