This bulletin was published using very limited field data. You can help by using the new Mountain Information Network. For more info, check out this blog post: http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/VIYBuScAAJdbdqPz/m-i-n-intro
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Generally overcast skies are forecast for Friday with moderate to strong southwest winds and freezing levels at about 1800m. On Saturday, up to 15cm of snow is expected with light to moderate variable winds and freezing levels at about 1300m. By Sunday the region will be under a dry ridge of high pressure with mainly clear skies, light northwest winds, and freezing levels near valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
Loose wet avalanches to size 1.5 were observed on Wednesday in the Elk Valley North area between 1600 and 2000m. No other avalanches were reported. If you have any observations you'd like to share, please check out the new Mountain Information Network. For details, check out: https://avalanche.ca/blogs/VIYBuScAAJdbdqPz/m-i-n-intro
Snowpack Summary
Recent warming suggests snow surfaces are likely moist or wet at most elevations. There is at least one, maybe more, problematic layers in the mid and lower snowpack. About 90cm of settled snow overlies a weak layer of facets and crusts which formed during November's dry spell. Not much is known about the reactivity of this layer, nor the slab above it, but I'd assume it exists in most alpine terrain.
Problems
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.
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.