Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
We have not seen much recent avalanche activity, but keep in mind the potential for power sluffing of the surface facets in steep terrain, and the existence of hard wind slabs at higher elevations.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for shooting cracks or stiffer feeling snow. Avoid areas that appear wind loaded.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
A strong upper snowpack overlies three weak layers in the mid snowpack. All are a mix of sun crust, surface hoar and facets depending on location. We have not had any recent avalanche activity on these layers but keep them in mind in large terrain.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Ride large slopes one at a time and spot your partners from safe locations.
Avalanche Summary
Reports of thin wind slabs triggered by ski cutting and explosives in lee areas at the local ski resorts. We had a rescue response to a skier triggered wind slab in a steep couloir near Taylor Lake on Sunday. Reports of skier triggered sluffs resulting in loose dry avalanches running to mid path in steep terrain in the Kootenay area.
Snowpack Summary
A few cm of new snow Sunday night. Wind effect in open areas at treeline and above with faceted surface snow below treeline. Three mid-pack weak layers of surface hoar and/or facets are down 100-130cm and gaining strength, but are worth keeping in mind on bigger slopes. Thin snowpack areas are facetting and weakening with the cold temperatures.
Weather Forecast
The forecast is for periods of snow starting on Monday night and continued flurries through Tuesday and Wednesday with total accumulations of up to 10 cm. Temperatures should stay in the -8 to -15 range at treeline and winds will be moderate to strong out of the West, possibly easing off on Wednesday.
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.
Hard wind slabs exist in lee areas in the alpine. While they may not be very thick or particularly touchy, they certainly have the potential to carry you into an undesirable location (cliffs/terrain traps) if triggered in steep terrain.