Increasing temperatures and strong solar effect is forecast. This first big warm-up of the season will destabilize the snowpack.
A Special Avalanche Warning is in effect immediately, through Saturday.
Continued wind slab development is expected with overnight snowfall and moderate SW winds.
Wind slabs in the alpine and exposed treeline features have the potential for wide propagations across connected features.
Afternoon sun is packing a punch on lower elevation, SW through W slopes. Ice climbers: be extremely cautious. Overhead hazards can catch sun early.
Caution in thin facetted snowpack areas where triggering is more likely. This is a low probability but high consequence problem.
Isolated warming on all solar aspects!
Overnight: Mainly cloudy. Alpine temperature: Low -7 °C. Ridge wind SW15-35 km/h. Fzl valley bottom.
Thursday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Alpine temperature: High -3 °C. Ridge wind SW15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h. Fzl 1900 m
Friday: Flurries. Accumulation: 6 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -6 °C, High -4 °C. Fzl 1800 m
Snowpack morphing from cold/dry, to warm/moist spring conditions. Top 5-15cm moist snow over a supportive mid-pack in the Icefields. Windward aspects have been heavily stripped of snow. Highly variable snowpack across the region, with shallow areas failing at the faceted base, while deeper regions have a strong bridge over a weak base.
Areas surrounding the Sunwapta, Gong, and Mushroom Peak region seem to be the most sensitive to natural triggers. Most natural observations have occurred in that zone.
