Solar warming will increase and freezing levels will rise over the weekend, leading to an increase in natural avalanche activity.
Avoid overhead exposure, especially to solar slopes and cornices.
Solar warming may result in cornice failure, acting as a large trigger on the slope below. Avoid overhead exposure containing overhanging cornices.
Small avalanches have the potential to step down to this deeper problem layer, made up of buried weaker facets below an crust formed earlier in the season.
This will form on solar aspects, starting around rocks and trees that may contribute to warming the snow around them.
Throughout the week, large avalanches up to size 3 have been failing on a persistent weak layer in the snowpack. These avalanches have the potential to be triggered by cornice or loose wet failures caused by solar warming or sympathetically from nearby avalanches. Loose dry avalanches have also occurred out of steep terrain.
There is 10-35 cm of recent storm snow in the icefields area. This new snow sits on a crust on all but due north aspects. 1-5mm Surface hoar sits on top of this crust in many areas. A 50-100 cm settled mid-pack rests on top of weak facets. The lower snowpack consists of depth hoar and breaking down crusts. Tree line snow depth is 110-170 cm.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: High -1 °C. Ridge wind west: 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2200 metres.
SundayA mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -4 °C, High 1 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2400 metres.
Monday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Alpine temperature: Low -1 °C, High 2 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 10-30 km/h. Freezing level: 2200 metres.
