Early season conditions exist with low snow cover and hidden hazards just lurking beneath the surface.
Weather Forecast
1-3cm of snow is forecast for the next 48 hours. Temperatures will hover -6 to -11 with light westerly winds. Some sun may break through on Saturday but expect overall cloudy conditions. Little change expected through the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Field data is limited. Below 1700m there is no significant snow. At 2000m and above 30cm plus can be expected with deeper wind pockets. Snow distribution will vary greatly with aspect, elevation, and wind exposure. Treeline and alpine gully features plus some lee alpine slopes will be wind loaded. Ground features are marginally covered.
Avalanche Summary
No Patrol Thursday. It is not uncommon at this time of year for climbers to trigger small avalanches from gully features. Even small rides over rocky terrain, cliffs, or terrain traps can have serious consequences. Wednesday's patrol to Maligne observed several solar induced loose and windslab avalanches on Steep S aspects up to size 2.
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.