Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Unlikely - Possible
- Größe
- 1–2
The avalanche hazard has dropped off but unfortunately..... so has the snow quality. The best opportunity for soft snow is in sun sheltered terrain at tree line.
Avoid solar slopes during peak warming.
Persistent slabs sit over different weak layers depending on elevation & aspect. Above 1950m a buried facet layer down 20-40cm is the primary concern. Below 1950m, a faceting crust down 40-70 is presenting a more stubborn version of a similar problem
Sunday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Trace Precipitation. Freezing level rising to 2000m. Wind South West 10-25km/h
Monday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Freezing level 1700m. South West wind 10-20km/h.
Tuesday: Cloudy with sunny periods and Isolated flurries. No precipitation. Freezing level valley bottom.
Weak temperature crust on all aspects up to 1900m with a sun crust on solar aspects extending into alpine. Upper snowpack has settled but expect reactivity to increase during peak warming/ solar exposure. Exposed alpine stripped to rock at ridge top & open features. Dec Facets down 20-70cm. Basal faceting & depth hoar widespread throughout area.
Avalanche control using explosives produced size 2 wet loose results Thursday. A Natural size 3 persistent slab avalanche was noted from a SW aspect on Nigel peak; estimated date Feb 09- likely triggered by large cornice fall from above.
No new avalanche activity observed on the Icefields Parkway or Maligne Lake Road Feb 11-12.