Incoming snow and rain will not improve the challenging travel and variable spring snowpack present through out the park.
Expect conditions to vary greatly with elevation and aspect.
The Feb 3rd crust/facet complex is down 80-140cm and has been the main sliding layer for the most recent large avalanches. As temperatures gradually drop, this layer will become harder to trigger, but should remain as a concern in your decision making.
New snow and south/south-west winds may form reactive storm slabs. Distribution and sensitivity will increase if more snow accumulates than forecast. Use caution in terrain where a widespread crust is present beneath the new snow. And on slopes that the wind has loaded.
Use caution in steep terrain where the snowpack is wet and loose. This will become less of a problem as temperatures cool over the next couple days. Signs of instability for this problem include pinwheeling and snowballing.
Avalanche activity has decreased with cooler temperatures and cloud cover.
A widespread cycle of natural size 3-3.5 avalanches occurred Fri to Tues. These wet avalanches failed within the moist upper snowpack and stepping down to the persistent weak layer (over 1m deep).
A field team investigated a natural, size 3 avalanche that occurred on Mar 18th, on a N aspect at treeline. The failure plane was down ~120 cm on the Feb 3rd persistent weak layer.
New snow will bury a crust found on most aspects and elevations, except treeline and above on polar slopes. Rain is forecast below treeline, this will further weaken the snowpack.
A weak layer formed on March 8th is down 40-50 cm. It has been preserved on Northerly aspects at treeline and above.
The Feb 3rd crust is down 80-140 cm. A weak layer of loose snow sits above it. This is a significant persistent weak layer and will be a concern for the foreseeable future.
A clash of weather systems over the province will bring cooling temperatures and light (possibly moderate) snow over next few days.
Tonight: Flurries, 5-10cm, Alp Low: -4, Light SW winds, Snow Lvl: Valley Bottom
Thurs: Flurries, 5-15 cm, Alp High: -4, Light gusting to Mod NW winds, Snow Lvl: 1000 m
Fri: Cloudy/Flurries, Alp High: -5, Light E winds
Sat: Cloudy/Flurries, Trace, Alp High: -5, Light NE winds
