As you move above the rain crust, assess how well the recent snow is bonding to the underlying layers.
Avoid terrain that is threatened from above by overhead hazard.
Storm slabs may still be rider-triggered in areas without a surface crust. Deeper and more dangerous deposits will be found in areas lee to the wind.
A stubborn deep persistent slab has been triggered with large explosives. Rider triggering is unlikely, however if triggered the potential for a very large and destructive avalanche is possible.
On Friday, near the crowfoot mountain riding area. A group observed an avalanche occurrence on a south aspect. The avalanche was deep and may have failed on the early season melt freeze/ facet crust combo.
On Thursday, a very large (size 3.5) deep persistent slab avalanche was reported near Kelowna on a north east aspect at 2200 meters. This avalanche was triggered utilizing explosives and was 500 meters wide and ran 600 meters in length.
Above 1500 m up to 25 cm of new snow overlies a thin rain crust that formed earlier in the week. Below the crust, another 40 cm of storm snow exists.
A layer of surface hoar and/or faceted grains and a hard melt-freeze crust from mid-November can be found down 40-80 cm in the snowpack. Weak faceted grains may extend to the base of the snowpack, particularly in areas where the snowpack is thin.
Snow depths at treeline vary from about 50 to 100 cm and decrease rapidly at lower elevations.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.
Sunday
Cloudy. 2 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 mm of rain at treeline. 70 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2200 m.
Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
