Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Bulletin - Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks
Overnight rain will cause natural avalanches While refreeze is expected up high by noon, The snowpack is unlikely to recover before Monday. A good day to avoid travel in the mountains.
Avalanche Problem 1: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
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.
Avalanche Summary
The last few days have seen many wet avalanches up to size 3 running on all aspects in the afternoon and early evening.
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
Rain is forecast overnight Saturday and into Sunday. This, combined with the warm temperatures from last week will almost certainly preclude recovery and lead to high hazard in the morning. Temperatures will cool Sunday and will likely refreeze the snow at Treeline and in the Alpine. Isothermal snow can be expected below treeline throughout the day
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Rain on a relatively warm snowpack will certainly cause avalanches overnight Saturday