Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
While it is tempting to ski steeper lines, keep in mind the potential for power sluffing and the existence of hard windslabs. It is NOT open season on steep terrain.
Avalanche Problem 1: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Hard wind slabs exist in lee areas in the alpine. While they may not have a great amount of volume or be particularly touchy, they certainly have the potential to carry you to an undesirable location (cliffs/terrain traps) if triggered.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Watch for shooting cracks or stiffer feeling snow. Avoid areas that appear wind loaded.
Avalanche Summary
2 responses to avalanche accidents today. The 1st involved a skier boot packing up a steep couloir near Taylor Lake who triggered a size 2 windslab. The skier was not buried but sustained serious injuries. The 2nd skier near Floe Lake was entrained in a large sluff (surface facets) and was dragged through trees and also sustained serious injuries.
Snowpack Summary
Wind effected and faceted surface snow snow overlies three mid- pack weak layers 100-130cm down that are gaining strength. These layers continue to produce moderate, sudden planar test results on surface hoar in deep tap tests, and hard to no results with standard compression tests. Thin snowpack areas are degrading/facetting in the cold.
Weather Forecast
The precip has been postponed until late Monday. By Weds expect about 10cm in Lake Louise. Temps will stay in the -10 range and wind is expected to be light from the West.
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A strong upper snowpack 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 location, and we are slowly gaining confidence with these layers.