Recent spring-like conditions didn't improve the overall quality of the snowpack. It remains a cold, mid-winter snowpack with active persistent and deep persistent problems!
Continue to use caution on any large slopes in the alpine or at treeline.
Our recent melt-freeze cycle was not strong enough to heal our persistent slab problem. This weak layer, buried 20-40cm deep, is still reactive in snowpit tests and human triggering remains possible, particularly in shallow rocky start zones.
The base of the snowpack is inherently weak and untrustworthy. Human and natural triggering of these basal facets remains possible.
The field team on Monday triggered a sz 1.5 persistent slab on a south asp. at TL in Boundary Lake on the Parkway. Triggered with a whumph and was slow to initiate.
No new avalanches were reported by Field Teams on Tuesday.
A light dusting of recent snow sits over a variable, almost always breakable crust. This crust can seen as a 1-3 temp crust over facets on shaded aspects, up to a 15-20cm melt freeze crust observed on solar asps, over the DPL, especially at TL.
Persistent and deep persistent weak layers remain ever-present and active. Do not put your trust in either of these layers. Both are showing some potential to propagate in snowpit tests.
Tuesday Overnight: Low in the Icefields: -13°C
Wednesday: Mainly cloudy. Alpine High -5 °C; Light right top winds. Freezing level: 1500m
The Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast
