Weather models are calling for freezing levels to slowly drop but if the moisture comes before the cooling trend and rain falls, avalanche danger will be higher than forecast. Its spring, and stability will decrease as the day warms up. Start EARLY
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain on Thursday
Weather Forecast
Temps will begin to cool over the next few days as an upslope pattern begins to set up as a low develops in central Alberta. Winds will become northerly and 6-10mm of precip may fall over the next 24hrs. If temps remain warmer than forecast some of this precip may fall initially as rain and cause the avalanche danger to rise higher than forecasted. Pay close attention to freezing levels and precipitation type.
Avalanche Summary
Control run on EEOR and on the Buller Corner area. No results bigger than size 2. Warm temps continue to produce numerous loose wet avalanches up to size 1 on all aspects except for true north.
Snowpack Summary
Melt freeze crust on all aspects but true north up to 3500m. This crust was breaking down between 10-11am each day. On North aspects above 2400m dry powder snow can still be found. No sheers noted in the upper snowpack.
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.