Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Back in the deep freeze for the rest of the week. Low danger continues, although the weakening surface snow is resulting in some large sluffs. Strong temperature gradients in the snowpack are weakening it rapidly
Weather Forecast
More of the same cold, clear weather with little wind. The temperature is expected to plummet to -30C on Friday.
Snowpack Summary
The new, low density snow has done little to enhance snowpack structure. Facetting and depth hoar production are ongoing, especially in thin coverage areas. The November 12th crust is breaking down, with facets being produced on either side of the layer. This persistent weakness is producing moderate to hard results with stubborn characteristics.
Avalanche Summary
No significant slab avalanches have reported or observed in the past week. Loose snow avalanches are occurring out of steeper terrain, mostly related to facetting.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable on Wednesday
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.
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.