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
Moderate (2)
The new snow will not bond well to the weak, sugary old snow. Expect to see rider triggered sluffing in steep terrain and natural avalanches in extreme terrain.
Keep the Jan 30th persistent weak layer in the back of your mind, especially on solar slopes where facets sit on a buried suncrust.
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
New storm snow sits on a facetted upper snowpack. Open areas in the alpine & treeline had extensive wind affect that is now softening due to surface faccetting.
A weak layer of surface hoar, facets and/or suncrust (Jan 30th) is 20-50cm down. This layer has been showing signs of reactivity on solar slopes, where facets sit on a suncrust.
The Jan 7th layer is down 50-80 and is decomposed surface hoar or a thin crust on South and West aspects. This layer has been innactive recently.
Avalanche Activity
We have observed small (up to size 1) dry loose natural and rider triggered avalanches in steep unsupported terrain this week.
Field teams and MIN reports have observed some whumping and cracking in exposed areas.
Neighbouring operations, particularly to the west, are still reporting rider & remote triggered avalanches on the Jan 30th layer.