Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Slow improvement in conditions. However, use caution on solar aspects where a windslab overlies the Mar 15 crust. Dig down to test the snow before committing to your line.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for surface cracking and stiffer surface layers of snow.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Dig down to test the bond between the recent storm snow and the Mar 15 crust. While activity has tapered, forecasters do not have the confidence to remove this problem. Forecasters also suspect faceting on the Mar 15 crust due to recent cold temps.
Avalanche Summary
A skier remote size 1.5 was observed just outside the Lake Louise ski area boundary on an East aspect this afternoon. It appeared to be a windslab that ran on the Mar 15th crust.
Snowpack Summary
Last weeks storm brought 15-40cm with moderate S and W winds creating wind slabs in the alpine and into exposed areas at treeline. The March 15 suncrust is down 25-50cm on south east through west aspects and has been sensitive to skier triggering over the last few days. The mid- pack land basal layers have been dormant for the past while.
Weather Forecast
Unseasonably cold temperatures remain (below zero) in the Valley bottoms for a few days yet. Until Thursday the ridge temperature will stay in the -15 range. Cloud cover and light amounts of precip are expected to track through the region starting early Tuesday (~5cm). The wind will increase to the moderate range from the SW on Tues.
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Expect to encounter windslabs on all aspects at treeline and higher. They range from 20 to 40cm thick. On solar aspects, where the Mar 15 crust exists, potential remains for these wind slabs to be touchier than polar aspects.