Purcells

Travel conservatively and with a sense of caution, as buried weak layers may persist in the snowpack. You may also find wet snow, which could be touchy.

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy, light southeast wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 2200 m.SUNDAY: Mix of sun and clouds with isolated flurries, accumulation trace to 5 cm, light southeast wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 2000 m.MONDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1800 m.TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level 1600 m.

Many wet loose avalanches were observed between last Sunday and Friday. They were large (up to size 3), occurred mostly on southeast to southwest aspects, and at all elevations. Many of these avalanches scoured to basal weaknesses. A notable deep persistent slab avalanche released on Wednesday, likely triggered by a cornice fall. It was 100 cm deep on a northeast aspect at 2900 m.The wet avalanche cycle will likely diminish this weekend as cooler and cloudier weather prevails.

A melt-freeze crust is found on the snow surface everywhere except for northerly aspects above 2000 m, where dry snow still prevails. The crust may weaken into moist or wet snow at low elevations or on southerly aspects, depending on daytime warming and cloud cover.Deeper in the snowpack, a weak layer of faceted grains buried 40 to 60 cm may still exist on northerly aspects above 2000 m. The base of the snowpack is composed of weak faceted snow, which may be associated with a melt-freeze crust. Although these layers have been dormant for a while now, there were recent reports of a few sporadic avalanches, suggesting that they could still be triggered.