East Kakwa

Wind slabs are a concern, especially where they sit over buried persistent weak layers.

No new avalanches have been reported recently.

Strong winds will reverse-load wind-exposed features.

The new snow overlies a surface hoar layer most prevalent around treeline elevations and below. In sun-exposed terrain, surface hoar may rest atop a thin crust, while elsewhere it sits atop a mix of old wind-affected surfaces and weak, faceted snow.

A widespread crust with facets and/or surface hoar, buried in mid-January, is approximately 30 to 70 cm below the surface.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well consolidated.

Thursday night

Few clouds with 0 to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind increasing to 30 to 50 km/h and switching to the east. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 80 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature - 16 °C.

Saturday

Partly cloudy. 30 to 60 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -27 °C.

Sunday

Partly cloudy. 30 to 60 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -25 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.
• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.