Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Deep lingering instabilities continue in the area. Despite the strong post-storm feel to the upper snowpack, the threat of large, catastrophic avalanches limits travelers to safer, non-avalanche terrain. Please continue to play safe.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be wary of slopes that did not previously avalanche.
- Avoid all avalanche terrain.
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Strong winds last Tuesday night created widespread wind effect in most areas above treeline. Hard wind slabs exist in the alpine lees.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Summary
Several new avalanches were noted today on the Icefields Parkway associated with recent winds.
Snowpack Summary
Windslabs are common in open areas with loading on easterly aspects. Commonly, a deep slab overlies midpack weaknesses of surface hoar, crusts, and facets. The depth of these slabs varies from 75 cm to 150 cm. These layers have been producing very large avalanches over the past week.
Weather Forecast
Light snow is expected Friday with more wind and cold temperatures. This is unlikely to significantly change the avalanche danger rating in the short term.
Avalanche Forecasts in your Inbox
Avalanche Canada has switched to an RSS feed for its daily forecasts. This is a much more flexible method that allows automatic delivery to your email inbox, or to an RSS reader of your choice.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular standardized file format allowing up-to-date delivery of web-based content. RSS feeds enable you to receive content updates from websites, delivered to your email through an RSS aggregator (such as blogtrottr.com) or viewed through applications called RSS readers (such as feedly.com).
Set up an RSS feed for your email:
Select a RSS aggregator
- Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/banff-yoho-kootenay.rss - Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
- Fill in your email address.
- Voila! Watch the Avalanche Canada forecast roll into your inbox.
Forecast Disclaimer
Avalanche Canada's Public Avalanche Bulletin, and other information and services provided by Avalanche Canada, are intended for personal and recreational purposes only.
**THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DISCOMFORT, INJURY, OR DEATH, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS, OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION.**
The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and uses the data in this bulletin with this always foremost in mind. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the Providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.
A 100-125cm dense slab of January storm snow overlies three weak layers 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 could easily be triggered.