Despite a moderating hazard, there is sufficient complexity in the snowpack to question your exposure on any slope. Don't let your guard down!
Recent snow is available for transport on the Icefileds Parkway. This new snow will make previous wind slab difficult to spot. Be on the lookout for reverse loading caused by northerly winds.
Persistent slabs sit over different weak layers depending on elevation & aspect. Above 1950m a buried facet layer down 20-40cm is the primary concern. Below 1950m, a faceting crust down 40-70 is presenting a more stubborn version of a similar problem
Steep features will continue to shead previous new snow. Expect increasing frequency with direct solar influence.
Wednesday: Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Temp: High -20 °C. Wind SW: 15 km/h.
Thursday: Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Temp: Low -20 °C, High -12 °C. Wind W: 15 km/h.
Friday: Flurries. Accumulation: 7 cm. Temp: Low -13 °C, High -9 °C. Wind SW: 25 km/h gusting to 60 km/h.
New snow with N winds (-24hr) building slabs in alpine and tree line lee features. Varied wind effect at all elevations. A facetted and complex snowpack is wide-spread throughout tenure. Buried surface hoar found in isolated places, TL and below with no cohesive slab over top. Convective upslope storm isolated to the Maligne Range with 35cm of HN.
Storm slabs and considerable loose dry activity observed near Medicine Lake on a West aspect at tree line. These storm slabs may have failed on preserved surface hoar but the overlying slab is not very cohesive, yet!
No new avalanche activity observed on the Icefields Parkway Jan 31.
