Date issued

Apr 25, 2018 - 4:00 PM

Valid until

Apr 26, 2018 - 4:00 PM

Prepared by

snow safety

Avalanche control will take place on Mts Hector, Bosworth,  and Stephen. Overnight recoveries are not expected to be sufficient in many or most locations. Avoid early moist snow, isothermal pockets, sunny locations, and overhead hazard.

Spring Season Conditions

Avalanche Problem 1: Loose Wet

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

Loose wet avalanches are expected to be common over the next couple of days until overnight freezes return. Be aware of sun, early soft snow, and the slopes above you. Even small wet avalanches hurt.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Watch for clues, like sluffing off of cliffs, that the snowpack is warming up.
  • Use extra caution on slopes if the snow is moist or wet.

Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

A few deeper avalanches have occurred in the last few days. Some stepped down to the March 15 crust. On shaded aspects these were likely sliding on facets formed at the same interface. This will wake up again with intense heating or large triggers.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
  • Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger persistent slabs.

Avalanche Problem 3: Cornices

What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?

Cornice failures are occurring on a regular basis now with warm temperatures and intense solar inputs. These large triggers have caused failures on the persistent weak layers deeper in the snow pack in a few places in the last couple days.

Travel and Terrain Advice
  • Minimize exposure to overhead hazard from cornices.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating, so travel early on exposed slopes.

Avalanche Summary

Ongoing wet snow avalanches are occurring in the afternoons. These vary by aspect and elevation but can get larger as they slop into low elevation isothermal pockets.

Snowpack Summary

Isolated wind slabs are present in the alpine. Crust or moist snow on all solar aspects depending on temperatures. Buried temperature crusts to 2000m on all aspects and to ridge top on solar slopes, including the Mar 15 crust down 40-70 cm in the alpine. Moist snow at lower elevations, with the entire snowpack becoming moist near valley bottom.

Weather Forecast

Thursday and Friday look to be warm with ~ 3500m freezing levels, light winds and weak overnight freezes.

Danger Ratings Explained

1 - Low

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.

Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.

2 - Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.

Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.

3 - Considerable

Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making essential.

Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely.

Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas.

4 - High

Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain not recommended.

Natural avalanches likely; human-triggered avalanches very likely.

Large avalanches in many areas; or very large avalanches in specific areas.

5 - Extreme

Avoid all avalanche terrain.

Natural and human-triggered avalanches certain.

Large to very large avalanches in many areas.

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

  1. Avalanche Bulletin - Little Yoho URL: http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/little-yoho.rss
  2. Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
  3. Fill in your email address.
  4. 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.