Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Winter conditions persist with more snow expected into Tuesday. The hazard is greatest near the divide where the most snow has fallen. Choose more conservative terrain and minimize overhead hazard until things have a chance to settle and bond.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm 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.
- Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and treeline. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
While it has been several days since there have been any confirmed events directly associated with the March 15 crust, other temperature crusts have now become buried in similar locations and are providing a good sliding layer for the new storm snow.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious with convexities and steep slopes on solar aspects.
- The storm slab may be more sensitive to human triggering on solar aspects where it sits on a crust
Avalanche Problem 3: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Lower elevations may see loose wet avalanches start to occur later in the day with either temperature increases or rain as the storm finishes on Tuesday.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use extra caution on slopes if the snow is moist or wet.
Avalanche Summary
Some sluffing in the alpine on Monday. Reports of several natural slab avalanches out of steep alpine terrain near the divide up to size 2 in the past 24 hrs. Several skier triggered storm slabs reported near the divide at treeline and above, up to size 2 in the past 48 hrs. Loose wet avalanches up to size 2 at lower elevations in the past 48hrs.
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of new snow with light winds. Up to 40 cm of storm snow near the divide. Several buried temperature crusts exist to 2000m on all aspects and to ridge tops on solar slopes, including the Mar 15 sun crust down 35-50 cm in the alpine. Moist snow at lower elevations, with the entire snowpack becoming moist near valley bottom.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures will remain relatively cool for the next few days, with freezing levels up to 1800m. Snowfall amounts of up to 15 cm near the divide are expected overnight and into Tuesday with a drying trend later in the day. Winds will switch to the West and increase into the moderate range on Tuesday.
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20-50 cm of storm snow has fallen over the past few days with the greater amounts near the divide, and more is expected on Tuesday. This is settling quickly but wind loaded areas and steep terrain will be suspect for the next couple days.