Steady winds continue to redistribute loose snow, the trend will continue as flurries accumulate through the weekend.
Steady southwest winds are redistributing new flurries and loose surface snow building new wind slabs on leeward slopes, particularly near ridgetops and crossloaded terrain features.
Weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack hasn't gone away. Evidence of deep persistent slab avalanches has been focused in the Sparwood-Elkford area over the past month. Human triggering is most likely around steep, rocky terrain features or anywhere the snowpack is thin and weak. A failing cornice could initiate a deep persistent slab when it impacts the slope below.
Friday night: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine low temperature -7 C. Moderate west wind. Freezing level 1500 m.
Saturday: Cloudy with scattered flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine high temperature -2 C. Moderate southwest wind. Freezing level 1700 m.
Sunday: Cloudy with scattered flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine high temperature -1 C. Moderate gusting to strong southwest wind. Freezing level 1800 m.
Monday: Flurries, 5-15 cm. Alpine high temperature -3 C. Moderate gusty southwest wind. Freezing level 1700 m and dropping.
We have very limited field observations at this time. There have be no new avalanches reported in the region.
15-25 cm recent snow is now wind affected and redistributed at treeline and above. A sun crust has formed on steep solar slopes and below treeline. Steady winds continue to impact loose surface snow.
The recent new snow sits above a melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes and on previously wind-affected snow in other areas, so new slabs may take some time to bond to these surfaces. A layer of faceted grains overly a melt-freeze crust from early February. This layer currently sits 40 to 80 cm below the surface.
The base of the snowpack contains basal facets that are most prominent in shallow, rocky start zones.
