South Rockies

Pockets of wind slab may continue to be reactive to human triggers. Avalanche danger is trending down with each overnight freeze.

High -

Overnight:  Freezing levels down to 1300 metres by morning, with moderate northwest winds and the chance of a few flurries. Sunday: Mix of sun and cloud with light westerly winds and some convective flurries during the day and 8-10 cm in the evening. Monday: Re-freeze down to near valley bottoms, followed by light winds and cloudy skies with a chance of convective flurries. Tuesday: Good freeze followed by clear skies and light winds.

No new avalanches reported. On Friday in the Elk Valley North area, there were numerous loose wet avalanches up to size 2.0 at all elevations on solar exposed aspects. The valley fog in the morning may have reduced the effects of the sun below treeline.

On Friday, the sun was strong at higher elevations and the surface snow became moist or wet in the Elk Valley North. Castle Mountain reported 26 cm of new snow overnight, that I suspect must have settled rapidly due to the strong sun and high freezing levels. On Thursday in Crowsnest North, the sun was strong in the morning and solar aspects became moist up into the alpine. There was still some dry snow on north aspects in the alpine. The bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets and full-depth avalanches over this basal weakness remain a concern, and may be triggered by large loads like cornice falls, or strong solar radiation on a clear day.