Large avalanches are still possible to trigger.
Use safe travel habits and regroup in safe spots.
Moderate winds have created wind slabs in the alpine and treeline elevations. These could step down to deeper persistent weak layers.
It remains possible that humans could trigger surface hoar and/or faceted grains that were buried early March and mid-February, especially at high elevations where a thick crust doesn't exist above it.
On Monday a very large (size 3) natural avalanche was reported near Valemount. 1 small (size 1) avalanche was remotely triggered below treeline on a northwest aspect. Several other small slab and loose dry avalanches were skier-triggered.
Obvious signs of instability are tapering off, but human-triggered avalanches are still possible.
Up to 12 cm of new snow has fallen since Tuesday. A sun crust and/or moist snow can be found on slopes exposed to the sun.
Three persistent weak layers consisting of surface hoar and/or facets are found in the middle of the snowpack. The early March layer is between 60 and 120 cm down. The mid-February layer is between 70 and 150 cm deep and a layer from late January is down 150 cm. In lower elevations, these layers sit over a crust.
Below this, the snowpack is well settled.
Tuesday night
Few clouds. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5°C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
