Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The skiing is excellent but make sure you stop and put your snow profile skills to work. The Dec 3 surface hoar layer is widespread below 1900m. Dig down, look for this layer, and test it - it may become a tricky persistent slab avalanche problem.
Weather Forecast
Saturday will be overcast with a few flurries but little in the way of accumulations. Temperatures will range from -4 to -10 and winds will be light to moderate from the west.
Snowpack Summary
In most places below 1900m, a 30-40 cm soft slab of recent storm snow sits over the December 3rd surface hoar. This is producing easy shears in snow pit tests and slowly settling into a more cohesive slab, especially in areas to the West with more snow. In the alpine, winds from the recent storm have left wind slabs in lee areas.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche control on Friday at the Lake Louise ski resort produced slab avalanches in alpine lee areas up to size 2. Small loose snow avalanches were also observed in steep alpine terrain.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
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.