A bit of new snow overnight will help refresh the skiing. Things are pretty good overall, but keep watching for small wind slabs and sluffing in steep terrain, especially if skiing or climbing in confined terrain or steep gullies.
Weather Forecast
Up to 5 cm of snow is expected on Friday night with moderate W winds. Flurries will persist on Saturday with light winds out of the N and E and temperatures in the -10 to -15 C range. Sunday looks sunny and cold.
Snowpack Summary
At treeline and above a mix of powder, weak surface facets, wind slab, and some sun crust, can be found over a supportive mid-pack. In isolated areas at treeline and below the Jan 17 surface hoar can be found down 30-60 cm, and is producing hard but sudden test results. Weak basal facets can be found in some thin areas of the Little Yoho region.
Avalanche Summary
Small thin natural wind slabs and loose dry avalanches up to size 2 have been observed out of very steep alpine terrain over the past couple days with loose dry avalanches running down into treeline. Skier triggered loose dry sluffing of the surface facets has also been observed in steep terrain at all elevations up to size 1.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Saturday
Problems
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.