Purcells

Recently formed storm slabs are expected to be reactive to human-triggering on Sunday. Conservative terrain selection is important and it is best to avoid recently wind loaded areas. If the sun comes out, use extra caution on steep south aspects.

-

One last pulse of snowfall is expected to bring another 10-15cm to the region Saturday overnight. Unsettled conditions are expected on Sunday as cold Arctic air begins to move south and replace the recent storm system. Lingering flurries are expected in the morning and sunny breaks in the afternoon. Alpine winds are forecast to be light to moderate from the northwest and freezing levels are expected to fall below valley bottom. On Monday, a mix of sun and cloud is expected with light alpine winds from the northwest and treeline temperatures around -15C. On Tuesday, a mix of sun and cloud is forecast with light alpine winds from the north and treeline temperatures around -20C.

No new avalanches have been reported in this region recently. We expect avalanche activity to increase throughout the weekend with the ongoing storm. If you are out in the mountains, please report your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack observations are still quite limited in this region. The new snowfall and strong alpine wind on Friday and Saturday is expected to have formed new storm slabs in the alpine and open areas at treeline in the deeper snowpack areas of the region. The mid-November crust is now down 40-90cm. This layer may become more reactive if weak facets form on the crust and the snow load increases. Below the crust the snowpack is generally well settled. Snowpack depths vary greatly throughout the region with an average of 70-150cm at treeline elevations. Watch out for stumps, rocks, and open creeks below treeline.