Should the sun come out for extended periods, the avalanche danger could increase dramatically and quickly. Pay attention to the sun and temperatures. Adjust your route if required.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures are expected to warm up slightly with freezing levels hovering around 1500 meters. The Eastern slopes of the Rockies are expected to have cloud cover with only light snowfall from Tuesday through to Thursday. Winds will be light to moderat predominantly from the Northwest. No significant snowfall is expected.
Snowpack Summary
Spring conditions are mostly solid with up to 15cm of snow on the crust layer. In the alpine, wind slabs exist on lee aspects near ridge tops. Sun crusts are well developed on steep, solar aspects. Overcast skies and cooler temperatures have kept the crusts intact even at lower elevations. This may change later this week if more sun comes out.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported today. One avalanche was reported late Friday above the icefalls on the Athabasca glacier which originated from steep, cross loaded gullies in the high alpine. Cooler temperatures and no solar radiation due to cloud cover has reduced natural activity in the last few days.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.