Purcells

Assess for wind slabs along ridges and in alpine terrain.

Small (size 1) wind slab avalanches were reported on north-facing slopes over the past few days. One natural size 2 wind slab occurred west of Invermere on Tuesday.

A few small dry loose avalanches have also been reported.

5 to 15 cm of dry snow may be found on north-facing slopes, otherwise, the upper snowpack consists of various melt-freeze layers.

The facet/crust layer that caused large avalanches in March is buried 100 to 150 cm deep. It is unlikely to trigger under the current conditions but could re-emerge as a concern later this season in high alpine terrain.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy. 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with up to 1 cm of snow in the afternoon. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Friday

1 to 2 cm of snow in the morning then clearing skies in the afternoon. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2200 m.

Saturday

Mostly sunny. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
• Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.