Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Watch for new windslabs as you approach or enter lee areas near ridgecrests. Watch for loose snow in gully features.
Weather Forecast
The chinook winds showed up on Saturday and may be expected to build windslabs in immediate lee areas near ridgecrests. New snow and continuing wind over the next few days will likely add to the problem.
Snowpack Summary
20-50cm of snow sits over the december 15 surface hoar layer which is beginning to develop some slab properties. Below this the snowpack is heavily faceted with remnants of older crust's still lingering throughout. In many areas loose faceted surface snow continues to be the main instability of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported today
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.