Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Dress warm and be careful for windslabs near ridge-crests, and loose snow from steep rocky features. Ice climbers may experience loose snow pour-overs as things facet out.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Loose Dry
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Climbers in steep gullies be prepared for spindrift and loose snow running down the climb. Put in lots of ice screws. Any avalanches will likely be small, but could knock you off your feet.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where the debris flows into terrain traps.
Avalanche Summary
One shallow slab avalanche was noted behind the Hwy 1/Hwy 93N intersection.
Snowpack Summary
10-30 cm of soft snow now covers the Dec 15 persistent weak layer of surface hoar, sun crust or facets (depending on location). Multidirectional winds have created windslabs near ridge-crests on many aspects. Plumes were noted in Lake Louise today.
Weather Forecast
Some more snow is forecast for Thursday. Amounts possibly in the 5cm range. Then it is expected to get cold. As the Arctic air pushes in wind chills are expected to be fairly high. Dress warm.
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Strong NE winds will easily transport the 25 cm of recent snow into windslabs on S and W aspects (backwards from usual). Avoid freshly wind loaded rolls and slopes and study the snowpack distribution from this upslope storm.