Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Regions
Little Yoho.
Triggering small surface slabs in steep terrain remains a concern, especially in wind loaded areas. This problem will likely increase with the arrival of new snow and strong alpine winds Monday night. Look for sheltered areas to enjoy the new snow.
Weather Forecast
Upper elevation winds will increase to strong out of the SW-W on Monday afternoon with snow arriving overnight and into Tuesday. Accumulations are forecast to be between 5-10 cm. Alpine temperatures will rise to around -8'C and remain relatively steady while valley bottoms will see temperatures above freezing.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 15 cm of recent snow with moderate to strong SW-W winds has formed thin slabs in open areas above treeline. This snow sits over either weak facets, previous wind effect or sun crusts on steep solar aspects. The mid pack varies from supportive in thicker snowpack areas to weak and completely faceted in thin areas.
Avalanche Summary
Several small slabs were triggered by groups on a variety of aspects, in open areas above treeline in the last 24 hrs. Most were thin slabs but a couple stepped down to deeper facet layers. Avalanche control Sunday produced thin slabs from size 1-2.5 out of steep alpine start zones with some gathering mass as they scrubbed down into the facets.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Tuesday
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.