Strong winds are building slabs in the alpine while warm temperatures and poor overnight recoveries are causing the strength of the snowpack to deteriorate BTL.
As snow and rain are added to the mix Sunday evening, a natural avalanche cycle can be expected to begin.
Fresh small slabs have formed over the last two days and will continue to develop through the weekend as SW winds peak near extreme values Sunday evening. As these start to fail naturally, consider them to be potential triggers for larger avalanches.
With continued poor overnight recoveries, the thin snowpack at the lowest elevations has already gone isothermal losing its strength and structure. With increasing freezing levels and rain in the forecast Sunday expect this to creep higher.
The November basal facets as well as midpack facets on crusts remain a concern for triggering. Snowpack tests continue to produce moderate to hard sudden collapse results. These weak layers are very pronounced in this region.
Sunshine Village saw a sz 1.5 cornice failure while Lake Louise worked with small wind slabs in the immediate lees and reported a small wind - generated avalanche off of the cliffs on Mt Redoubt.
Up to 5cm of new snow sits over sun crusts on solar aspects. Isolated small wind slabs in the alpine.
A weak, isothermal snowpack is developing BTL with minimal overnight recovery.
Several buried crusts can be found in the top 40cm on solar aspects.
The January sun crust and facet interface is down 40 to 80cm.
The November depth hoar at the base of the snowpack remains very weak.
Freezing levels ~ 1700m overnight Saturday with flurries / showers.
Strong SW winds increase Sunday as freezing levels rise to 2400m.
Winds peak near extreme values overnight Sunday. Freezing level: 2000m with 5 to 10 cm of snow / rain.
Freezing levels higher Monday with 15-30cm of snow / rain. SW winds increase to extreme values.
