Watch for sluffing of the recent 10-30cm snow in very steep terrain. Although isolated in nature, the potential for slides on the deeper layers shouldn't be forgotten on high, shady aspects (see avalanche summary).
The ski quality has improved greatly over the past few days.
The Feb 3 crust/facet interface is down 50-100 cm. Cooler temps have lessened the likelihood of triggering this layer, but a slide in Hidden Bowl today shows isolated events are possible.
20-30 cm of low-density storm snow (at upper elevations) will be prone to sluffing out of very steep terrain.
Current cooler temperatures have reduced the likelihood of triggering this problem significantly, but isolated events are still possible, especially in thin snowpack areas.
An isolated size 3 event on Hidden Bowl in the Lake Louise backcountry. It was a remote in the alpine from 200m away while uptracking. See photo below. There have also been some recent natural sloughs out of very steep terrain (mainly size 1), sliding on the March 20th interface.
Over the last few days, 10 to 30cm of mainly low-density snow has fallen. A parks group on the Wapta found a 10cm "wind skin" starting to form in the high alpine. This snow lies over the March 20 temperature crust, which extends to 2100 m on all aspects and ridge tops on solar aspects. The Feb 3rd crust layer is down ~ 50 -100 cm, and the basal facets persist in thin snowpack areas. Total snowpack depths range from 90-170 cm at treeline.
Saturday: Valley bottom freezing levels, light winds, isolated flurries, and a mix of sun and cloud developing in the PM.
Sunday: 1500m freezing levels, light winds, and sunny skies.
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