New windslabs have formed over a weak lower snowpack. Difficult access is limiting the amount of field observations.
Weather Forecast
Friday: A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries and strong westerly winds. Freezing levels rising as high as 1900m in the afternoon. Up to 6cms of snow and freezing levels dropping to valley bottom overnight.Saturday: Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries. Moderate west winds.Sunday: Cloudy with sunny periods, Moderate west winds.
Snowpack Summary
40-60 cm of snow is on the ground in the area surrounding Cameron Lake. 10-20cm of recent storm snow has formed new windslabs in the alpine and at tree line with recent strong to extreme west winds. The October/November crust complex is present below 1950m on all aspects, and the lower snowpack is weak and facetted. Lower hazard on eastern slope
Avalanche Summary
Forecasters observed two windslabs to size 1.5 on a field trip up the Akamina Parkway, but poor visibility has limited our observations.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.