Overnight refreezing of the snowpack may be poor. If you find wet and heavy surface snow in the morning minimize your exposure to avalanche terrain as wet avalanches are more likely.
Watch for changing conditions throughout the day.
The snowpack may have little chance to recover overnight as freezing levels remain high. Warm temperatures and sun throughout the day will also quickly soften surface snow.
Pay close attention to how thick and supportive the surface crust is throughout the day. Minimize your exposure to slopes with wet and heavy snow.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear skies with light southwest winds. Freezing levels in the north of the region drop to 1000 m overnight.
Terrain in the south, (Crowsnest Pass and Castle areas) may see overnight freezing levels rise to 3000 m, or an above freezing air layer at that elevation.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with moderate southwest winds (strong gusts possible). Flurries begin in the afternoon. Freezing levels around 2000, alpine high +4.
THURSDAY: 3 cm possible overnight. A mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate westerly winds. Isolated flurries possible. Freezing levels peak at 1500 m, alpine highs of +1.
FRIDAY: A mix of sun and cloud with light southwest winds. Freezing levels reach 1800 m. Alpine highs of +4.
Several size 1.5 wet loose avalanches were reportedly human triggered in below treeline, south facing features. Wet avalanche activity is expected to continue during this warm weather pattern.
Small pockets of wind slabs sit on east facing slopes in the alpine. The upper snowpack is going through a daily melt-freeze cycle. A crust exists on all aspects to around 2000 m, and into the alpine on solar aspects. Warm temperatures and sun are softening or breaking down the crust during the day and creating moist snow. At very low elevations, the snowpack may be wet and isothermal, depending on overnight freezing levels.
Below 1700 m, the snowpack has been reported as being moist to ground, and becoming isothermal.
