Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Avoid all avalanche terrain including crossing runout zones at valley bottom. Natural activity will likely taper over the next couple of days, but human triggering will be as touchy as it gets.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
- Avoid all avalanche terrain.
Avalanche Problem 2: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
There are storm slabs up to 1m thick on many aspects and elevations from the big storm on Thursday. These will be highly sensitive to triggering and once initiated, can step down to the deeper persistent layers causing very large avalanches.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Summary
Another widespread cycle Thursday to size 3.5 (what we could see) . These were failing on the above mentioned weak layers. Explosive control was producing size 3 avalanches up to 150cm deep with just the explosive hitting the slope. Most of these avalanches are traveling far into the valley bottom which should be a concern for all users.
Snowpack Summary
Thursdays storm dropped 30 - 50cm with variable winds. This combined with other recent snow has overloaded the 3 main mid pack concerns which are the Jan 16th, Jan 6th, and Dec.15 weak layers. These are a mix of facets, crusts and surface hoar and can be found 70cm to over 150cm deep in the snowpack and are currently producing very easy results.
Weather Forecast
The epic storm has ended and we will see a few "normal" days of weather. -15 to -18C in the alpine Friday with light winds and mainly clear skies and no additional snow.
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Three weak layers exist in the mid snowpack: Jan 16, Jan 6, and Dec 15. All are a mix of sun crust, surface hoar and facets depending on the aspect and elevation. These layers are very sensitive to triggering both naturally and by human triggering.