Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Variable precip amounts through the forecast area overnight and through the day Saturday is expected to give a nice reset to the stellar spring skiing already out there. Watch for shedding and sluffing from steeper terrain. DK
Weather Forecast
Potentially 15 cm in the higher elevations from this storm system overnight and through the day Saturday. Localized amounts may differ due to convective activity. Temps expected to remain seasonally cold to -6 to -3 with light winds. This precip will likely translate into rain below 1500ms and make it quite wet on low elevation ice climbs.
Snowpack Summary
The new snow will be sitting on a variety of surfaces depending on elevation and aspect. Sun and temperature crusts on solar aspects and lower elevations below 2000ms and expect some sluffing from any steep terrain. Isolated windslabs were reported in the high alpine (3000m) near ridges.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed or reported today.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.