Recent large avalanches along the Icefields Parkway are a reminder that if there is enough snow to ride there is enough snow to slide. Dig down and test the reactivity of the snowpack before you commit to a line or feature.
Variable winds means there could be wind slabs on all aspects. Ridge top winds are forecast to increase to moderate though Saturday.
The recent avalanche along the Icefields Parkway have been on north to east aspects down 30cm on a suspected Jan 4th surface hoar or facet layer. This layer is only a concern if there is enough of a supportive slab above it.
You must keep this basal layer on your radar as triggering is possible in isolated features, such as steep rocky terrain where you find yourself standing on the surface and not wallowing in facets, that's the problem slab.
Several deep persistent slabs and persistent slab avalanches up to size 2.5 have been observed in the alpine over the last few days.
Loose dry avalanches up to size 2 in very steep rocky alpine terrain were noted over the past few days. Some are scrubbing to ground.
There is variable wind effect from previous northerly winds. Down 25cm is a weak layer that is producing results in snow pit tests. Tree line snowpack depth is an average of 45-75cm. The snowpack is weak and largely unsupportive.
Saturday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries.
Precipitation: Trace.
Alpine temperature: High -2 °C.
Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h.
Freezing level: 1800 meters.
The Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast
