Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Incoming snow and wind is expected to increase the avalanche hazard by the end of this weekend, watch for the timing of the approaching weather system.
Weather Forecast
Warmer temperatures and new snow are forecasted to arrive on Sunday night/ Monday morning. This approaching system is expected to arrive with moderate to strong with at higher elevations.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is heavily faceted with little structure in the upper 30cm, The Nov 12 crust is present except in thinner snowpack areas. Increase winds today have added to the variability in the alpine and developed isolated wind slab in lees. Incoming new snow and winds are expected to increase the hazard, with new load on a very weak snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
No significant slab avalanches have been reported or observed in the past week. Loose snow avalanches (up to size 1.5) are occurring out of steeper terrain. Because of a faceted snowpack avalanche tend to run further then you may expect.
Problems
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.
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.