Banff Yoho Kootenay

The first snows of winter are here, with 5-20 cm of depth starting at ~2000m (Oct 2). Some will melt and some will stay, depending on aspect. Over the next month, expect crevasses on glaciers to be thinly bridged and as ice climbs start to form, watch for pockets of windslab in and around cliffs. Pray for snow: a deep start is a good start.

The early season snowpack is typically thin and widely variable, presenting deep drifts and areas scoured to the ground. Localized pockets of wind slab are common, meaning it can be easy to step from dry ground into a windslab, so watch carefully for these pockets of snow.

For current weather conditions, see the telemetry stations on the Avalanche Canada map page.

For weather forecasts, check out Environment Canada's products for Banff, Kootenay and Yoho.

For weather maps, graphics and satellite images check out the Mountain Weather Forecast.

For a technical weather forecast check out SpotWx