Avalanche Forecast
Avalanche Forecasts are for use by experienced backcountry travelers in uncontrolled sidecountry and backcountry terrain. These forecasts and conditions do not apply to open, in-bounds terrain at ski resorts, which is subject to avalanche control by local resort ski patrol.
Avalanche Rating
High (4)
Since March 9th, 30-90 cm of snow has fallen, nearly doubling the snowpack in areas like Bow Summit. Recent reports of whumps, remote triggers, and natural avalanches mean human triggering remains very likely. Stick to low-angle terrain and avoid overhead exposure until conditions improve.
More Detail
To get the complete forecast with additional graphics and details, please view the Parks Canada Zone forecast provided by Parks Canada.
Snowpack Discussion
10-15cm in the past 24 hours and 30-90cm since March 9th, with the most snow in the Bow Summit region, along the Wapta, and in Little Yoho. Strong S winds have formed slabs over sun crusts on steep S aspects or firm wind-affected snow elsewhere.
A persistent weak layer (Feb 22/Jan 30 facets) is buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallower eastern areas, the mid/lower snowpack is very weak with facets and depth hoar, while deeper western areas are more consolidated (see profiles below).
Avalanche Activity
There was limitied visibility in many areas today. Sunshine was a ski-cutting size 1-1.5 storm slabs (30-60cm deep) in the Delerium dive today; all reloads that had formed since the AM.
Since Saturday, there have been many natural avalanches up to size 3 and human-triggered avalanches. Most of the activity appears to be happening East of the divide, but there have been fewer observations in deeper snowpack areas to the West.