Avalanche forecast

Banff Yoho Kootenay

Mar 11 – 12, 2014Parks Canada
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Touchy avalanche conditions continue. Now is the time to avoid all avalanche terrain.Avalanche control will be conducted on Mt. Stephen and Mt. Dennis on Wednesday. Please no skiing or climbing in these areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2–3
    Natural avalanche cycle is over but conditions are still very touchy and ripe for skier triggering. Any avalanche triggered has the potential to be very large.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Storm slab is still touchy and has potential to step down to deeper persistent layers.

Weather Forecast

Another sunny day on Wednesday with freezing levels around 1800 m. Cooler temperatures and some isolated flurries forecast for Thursday and Friday.

Snowpack Summary

85-100cm of storm snow has fallen in the Sunshine, Kootenay and Yoho areas, with 40-60cm around Lake Louise and Bow Summit since Mar 2nd. This storm snow has overloaded the Feb 10th layer of facets, surface hoar and sun crust, and in thinner snowpack areas, the deeper basal facet layer, causing large, destructive avalanches with wide propagations.

Avalanche Summary

A widespread natural avalanche cycle occurred in past 48 hours on all aspects and elevations. Two large remotely skier triggered avalanches were reported yesterday in the Lake Louise area. Natural cycle appears to be over but conditions remain very touchy and reactive to skier triggering.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Regions covered