Snow flurries and strong winds will be building storm slabs. These will be most reactive at ridgetop and in steep unsupported terrain features.
The last two avalanche cycles have cleaned out many start zones. However, there are still slopes and features that haven't flushed out the persistent slab problem.
Two persistent weak layers are buried ~130 and ~170 cm down. Last weeks snow, combined with extreme winds, overloaded these layers triggering large, destructive avalanches. Be very suspect of slopes that haven't recently avalanched. These weak layers are still within human triggering depths.
Low density snow is running fast and loose especially where it sits on a firm bed surface. Practice good sluff management techniques.
Snow flurries and strong wind gusts will build a reactive slab. Pay particular attention in ridge lee features, as the slab will be the most reactive with wind transport.
Natural avalanche activity has dropped off with the cooling.
Artillery control on Sunday produced numerous avalanches from size 2 to 4. Of note, avalanche character changed to wet/loose below treeline with the rain and warm temps.
See the Avalanche Canada blog post for info on dealing with persistent slab problems. We are entering the "healing" stage. Avalanches are becoming less likely but the consequence will remain massive for the foreseeable future.
A widespread surface slab, 50-80cm in depth, blankets the region at Alpine and Treeline elevations. Below Treeline, the rain-soaked surface is now a firm crust with up to 10cm of new snow on top of it.
The Feb 9 and Jan 26 surface hoar (SH) layers are now buried 110-170cm deep. The Feb 9 SH sits over a crust on solar aspects. The Jan 26th layer is composed of very large surface hoar (up to 40mm), facets, and/or a crust.
Cool temps and spring convective cells will bring flurries and gusty SW winds to the region.
Tonight Flurries, 8cm. Alpine low -13°C. Freezing level (FZL) Valley bottom(VB). Winds SW 35-45km/h.
Wed Snow, 15cm. Alp High -12°C. Wind SW 25-40km/h. FZL VB.
Thurs Flurries, 13cm. Alp High -8°C. Wind W 30 gusting 125km/h. FZL 800m.
Fri Cloud/Sun/Flurries, Precip: 1-2cm. Alp High -9°C. Wind W 20km/h. FZL 900m.
